DeanSweetman.com » Tithes and Offerings http://deansweetman.com Sermons, Podcasts and Teachings to Live Your Best Life Sun, 20 May 2012 18:48:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Dean Sweetman is Sr Pastor of the C3 Church with a campus in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He also serves as Executive Regional Overseer for C3 Americas. The Sweetmans moved to the USA in 1996 for the sole purpose of planting the Lawrenceville church. C3 Church currently serves the Atlanta community in a unique way through itís technology and charity work. Last year, Dean and Jill planted the C3 Church in Studio City, California. As Sr Pastors of both churches, they split their time between Atlanta and Studio City and have homes in both cities. Dean is a sought-after speaker in both church and business settings and an emerging author. His passionate and uncompromising preaching will inspire the most on-fire believer as challenge those who lack the fervor required to serve God. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA webmaster@christiancitychurch.com webmaster@christiancitychurch.com (C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA) C3 Atlanta Online with Dean Sweetman DeanSweetman.com » Tithes and Offerings http://audio.thec3church.com/podcasticon.jpg http://deansweetman.com/category/tithes-and-offerings/ Rise and Build, Next Generation http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/26/rise-and-build-next-generation/ http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/26/rise-and-build-next-generation/#comments Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:59:16 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=666 What is the difference between a Son of the House and a Servant of the House? That is an excellent question. The answer is spread throughout the Bible. One of the main answers is, in a sense, another question. Are you a Son? Well, how is your fruit? I.e: what do your actions say about you?

2 Kings 4:1-7 contains a story of a woman who was a Daughter of the House. Her husband (called a “son” of Elijah in the story) had just passed away, leaving her and her two sons in deep debt. This Daughter of the House ran straight to the answer: God. She sought out Elijah, her husband’s spiritual father, for advice; she accepted his advice, and, what is more, she obeyed it. That is the first and most prominent fruit of a son or daughter; they obey the Father. And when they obey the Father, His blessing falls upon them.

The house of God thrives on the obedience of the Sons and Daughters. Without Sons and Daughters, the House grows old and stagnant and stale. Nothing new happens; there is no fresh outpouring of the Spirit, for the House is old and set in its ways. Sons and Daughters bring fresh life and energy to the House; they bring faith in their obedience. And who is it they are obeying? The Fathers of the House.

Paul writes in I Corinthians that there are plenty of teachers in the House but not enough Fathers. People flock from teacher to teacher; they listen as long as the teacher says things they like. If the teacher starts getting too deep or too personal they leave in search of a new teacher. People do not want to sit under a Father. Fathers bring correction. Fathers bring discipline. Fathers do not say what the people want to hear. But it is fathers that build the sons and daughters.

Think about that for a moment. Who is speaking into your world? Are they the type of person you want to be in five, ten, even twenty years? Then they are your father or mother. Sit. Listen. And learn from them (and take the bumps and bruises of the ego that come with it). God is speaking through these people. He, first and foremost, speaks through His Word. Then, He speaks through His Spirit. And, finally and most often, He speaks through the people He has places around us. The longer we sit and listen, the more of their spirit we catch and the more of God we hear.

So, as we gear up towards a new Rise and Build campaign, take a moment to think. What is God saying to you? Are you listening to the Fathers and Mothers in your world? Are you ready to obey what it is they are saying? If the answer is yes, then you are a Son and/or Daughter of the House.

Verses Used:
*II Kings 4:1-7
* I Corinthians 4:15-16
*II Corinthians 3:1-4

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/26/rise-and-build-next-generation/feed/ 0 What is the difference between a Son of the House and a Servant of the House? That is an excellent question. The answer is spread throughout the Bible. One of the main answers is, in a sense, another question. Are you a Son? Well, how is your fruit? I. What is the difference between a Son of the House and a Servant of the House? That is an excellent question. The answer is spread throughout the Bible. One of the main answers is, in a sense, another question. Are you a Son? Well, how is your fruit? I.e: what do your actions say about you? 2 Kings 4:1-7 contains a story of a woman who was a Daughter of the House. Her husband (called a "son" of Elijah in the story) had just passed away, leaving her and her two sons in deep debt. This Daughter of the House ran straight to the answer: God. She sought out Elijah, her husband's spiritual father, for advice; she accepted his advice, and, what is more, she obeyed it. That is the first and most prominent fruit of a son or daughter; they obey the Father. And when they obey the Father, His blessing falls upon them. The house of God thrives on the obedience of the Sons and Daughters. Without Sons and Daughters, the House grows old and stagnant and stale. Nothing new happens; there is no fresh outpouring of the Spirit, for the House is old and set in its ways. Sons and Daughters bring fresh life and energy to the House; they bring faith in their obedience. And who is it they are obeying? The Fathers of the House. Paul writes in I Corinthians that there are plenty of teachers in the House but not enough Fathers. People flock from teacher to teacher; they listen as long as the teacher says things they like. If the teacher starts getting too deep or too personal they leave in search of a new teacher. People do not want to sit under a Father. Fathers bring correction. Fathers bring discipline. Fathers do not say what the people want to hear. But it is fathers that build the sons and daughters. Think about that for a moment. Who is speaking into your world? Are they the type of person you want to be in five, ten, even twenty years? Then they are your father or mother. Sit. Listen. And learn from them (and take the bumps and bruises of the ego that come with it). God is speaking through these people. He, first and foremost, speaks through His Word. Then, He speaks through His Spirit. And, finally and most often, He speaks through the people He has places around us. The longer we sit and listen, the more of their spirit we catch and the more of God we hear. So, as we gear up towards a new Rise and Build campaign, take a moment to think. What is God saying to you? Are you listening to the Fathers and Mothers in your world? Are you ready to obey what it is they are saying? If the answer is yes, then you are a Son and/or Daughter of the House. Verses Used: *II Kings 4:1-7 * I Corinthians 4:15-16 *II Corinthians 3:1-4 C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 31:09 The Tithe (part 2) http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/12/the-tithe-part-2/ http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/12/the-tithe-part-2/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:06:56 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=658 The tithe is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and we see the Old Covenant bringing forth the New Covenant with relation to the tithe. In Genesis 14, Abram mobilized 318 trained men who had been born into his household to go to war. Victorious, Abram then goes into “the King’s valley” to meet the king of Sodom. Melchizedek “king of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of God Most High” meets Abram there and brings him bread and wine and blesses him. Out of this communion Abram is moved to give 1/10 of all his spoils to Melchizedek, in the time before Moses and the Law (5000-6000 years before Christ). I believe that Melchizedek is Jesus appearing to Abram in a theophany (a manifestation of God to man), and out of Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek his response was to give him 1/10 of his spoils.

We again see Melchizedek in Psalm 110, still hundreds of years before Christ, and he is also referenced in the New Testament as Hebrews 6:20 refers to Jesus as “our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek”. The link between Jesus and Melchizedek is made with special note to his lack of lineage (important in Biblical times) as he remains “a priest forever” in Hebrews 7. Under the Old Covenant, the priest was the mediator between the people and God. The old system was abolished through Jesus’ sacrifice. When we bring our tithe, we are we are not tithing to the power bill or the water bill – we are trusting Jesus Christ, our high priest.

Tithing and giving is as much about discipleship as it is about anything, and this is a growth moment for us. In Matthew 16, Jesus says “I will build my church” and in Matthew 28, he tells us to “go and make disciples”. Believers are born into the kingdom; disciples are made. Being a disciple includes: absorbing teaching, living that teaching, and living to see the fruits from obedience. Paul is called a “master builder” not for building structures but for building people. We are called to disciple others – this isn’t the Dean and Jill show – there are people for you to disciple! When we come into alignment with the Word of God, blessing flows.

Abram was so self-assured about the abilities of his 318 men that he saw himself as a king, enabling him to be victorious and go to “the King’s valley”. These men were “born” into his household similar to the way we are born into this house. Being born into this house doesn’t only include people who got saved here; it is any of us, as we are all adopted into the family of God by which we can cry “Abba Father”. Abram could do more with these men born into his house than he could with thousands of hirelings. When you are a hireling, you are not invested and secure – when the heat is turned up, you run and the first storm you see wipes you out. When you are on the periphery you are an easy target; wolves look to pick off the sheep from the herd by choosing the ones on the edges. This is why relationships are so important at C3. Relationships undergird the structure we have here and when you make this your house, you have connection, you have fellowship, and you have protection. The Word of God transforms your thinking. It’s not hard to get blessed when you do what the Bible says – put God back in the center of your life. Tithe and see what God will do.

Verses Used:
*Genesis 14:14-20
*Psalm 110:1-4
*Hebrews 7:1-6

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/12/the-tithe-part-2/feed/ 0 The tithe is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and we see the Old Covenant bringing forth the New Covenant with relation to the tithe. In Genesis 14, Abram mobilized 318 trained men who had been born into his household to go to war. The tithe is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and we see the Old Covenant bringing forth the New Covenant with relation to the tithe. In Genesis 14, Abram mobilized 318 trained men who had been born into his household to go to war. Victorious, Abram then goes into “the King’s valley” to meet the king of Sodom. Melchizedek “king of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of God Most High” meets Abram there and brings him bread and wine and blesses him. Out of this communion Abram is moved to give 1/10 of all his spoils to Melchizedek, in the time before Moses and the Law (5000-6000 years before Christ). I believe that Melchizedek is Jesus appearing to Abram in a theophany (a manifestation of God to man), and out of Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek his response was to give him 1/10 of his spoils. We again see Melchizedek in Psalm 110, still hundreds of years before Christ, and he is also referenced in the New Testament as Hebrews 6:20 refers to Jesus as “our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek”. The link between Jesus and Melchizedek is made with special note to his lack of lineage (important in Biblical times) as he remains “a priest forever” in Hebrews 7. Under the Old Covenant, the priest was the mediator between the people and God. The old system was abolished through Jesus’ sacrifice. When we bring our tithe, we are we are not tithing to the power bill or the water bill - we are trusting Jesus Christ, our high priest. Tithing and giving is as much about discipleship as it is about anything, and this is a growth moment for us. In Matthew 16, Jesus says “I will build my church” and in Matthew 28, he tells us to “go and make disciples”. Believers are born into the kingdom; disciples are made. Being a disciple includes: absorbing teaching, living that teaching, and living to see the fruits from obedience. Paul is called a “master builder” not for building structures but for building people. We are called to disciple others - this isn’t the Dean and Jill show - there are people for you to disciple! When we come into alignment with the Word of God, blessing flows. Abram was so self-assured about the abilities of his 318 men that he saw himself as a king, enabling him to be victorious and go to “the King’s valley”. These men were “born” into his household similar to the way we are born into this house. Being born into this house doesn’t only include people who got saved here; it is any of us, as we are all adopted into the family of God by which we can cry “Abba Father”. Abram could do more with these men born into his house than he could with thousands of hirelings. When you are a hireling, you are not invested and secure - when the heat is turned up, you run and the first storm you see wipes you out. When you are on the periphery you are an easy target; wolves look to pick off the sheep from the herd by choosing the ones on the edges. This is why relationships are so important at C3. Relationships undergird the structure we have here and when you make this your house, you have connection, you have fellowship, and you have protection. The Word of God transforms your thinking. It’s not hard to get blessed when you do what the Bible says - put God back in the center of your life. Tithe and see what God will do. Verses Used: *Genesis 14:14-20 *Psalm 110:1-4 *Hebrews 7:1-6 C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 32:38 The Tithe (part 1) http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/05/the-tithe/ http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/05/the-tithe/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:38:33 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=653 The tithe is found in both the Old and New Testaments. We see Abraham paying Melchizedek the High Priest a tenth of what he took as spoils of war, along with the first communion. People in those times learned to give their tithes of crops abundantly into the storehouse, a literal building that could hold food and seed in case of famine. In modern times, we pay our tithes to the local church – not a TV ministry, not a parachurch organization, but to the (store) House of God. If we have not learned yet that tithing is not an option for us as Christians, how can the church be “chief upon the mountains” as the bible declares? Tithing brings honor to God, brings blessing into our lives, and causes God to throw open the Windows of Heaven – it is the only time we are allowed to test God! He is saying to us, “Try it! Put Me to the test, I want to blow you away with My generosity as you learn to be generous!”

We are called to respect the altar of God – back in the days when priests offered sacrifices for the people, there was an increase of bribery as folks wanted to get rid of their lame, crippled and diseased cattle or sheep, and paid the priests to offer those on the altar, as if God were blind! Malachi was a prophet to the priests who had a lot to say about honoring and respecting the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, as you can read in the verses noted above. God’s principles don’t change, He will always bless you if you put Him first. If we have all our bills in front of us and wait til they are paid up to pay our tithes, we will never manage the 10% because the bills always seem so insurmountable. But if we line them up and put the tithe at the head of the line, we will find that supernaturally, the money is there to pay the rest! The priests (pastors) are responsible to tell the people that God is righteous and deserves the firstfruits of our labor, as Malachi aptly points out. We will miss out on a huge life blessing if we allow that 10% of our paycheck, disability or unemployment check (whatever we are getting as income, as opposed to monetary gifts from others) to go unpaid to the local church, the storehouse of blessing.

Tithing is probably the scariest thing we will ever do as Christians! It is easy to get saved, but it sure it hard to trust God with our money. Only 6% of the church in America tithes, according to Barna Research Group. This proved true several years ago, when Ps. Phil asked me what I had given in an offering. We discovered we’d given the same amount, and in a group of over 100 people, each of us had contributed 1/3 of the total offering taken that day. The 6% had prevailed, sadly. We are promised a return on our tithes and offerings, thirty, sixty or even a hundred times over what was given. No bank has ever given me that much of a return! What God can get through our hands and into others, He will get to us so we can do it again. If we are on food stamps, share some with others – there are always areas where we can give to people.

We have to learn that God sees our heart, He knows how much we make, and He is asking us to repay Him for the blessing of being able to work, or being able to draw a check due to disability, unemployment, etc. We want everyone in this church to thrive, and tithing is foundational to making that happen. We must look at our hearts, decide to give the Lord the honor and respect He deserves, lay our tithes on the altar, and watch the miracles unfold! I can’t wait to share more about this and tell you great stories of many who have tithed and received new jobs, raises, bonuses – all because we took a chance and risked loving God with our whole hearts.

Verses Used:
*Numbers 18:26
*Malachi 1:6-8
*Malachi 3:8-10

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2012/02/05/the-tithe/feed/ 0 The tithe is found in both the Old and New Testaments. We see Abraham paying Melchizedek the High Priest a tenth of what he took as spoils of war, along with the first communion. People in those times learned to give their tithes of crops abundantly ... The tithe is found in both the Old and New Testaments. We see Abraham paying Melchizedek the High Priest a tenth of what he took as spoils of war, along with the first communion. People in those times learned to give their tithes of crops abundantly into the storehouse, a literal building that could hold food and seed in case of famine. In modern times, we pay our tithes to the local church - not a TV ministry, not a parachurch organization, but to the (store) House of God. If we have not learned yet that tithing is not an option for us as Christians, how can the church be "chief upon the mountains" as the bible declares? Tithing brings honor to God, brings blessing into our lives, and causes God to throw open the Windows of Heaven - it is the only time we are allowed to test God! He is saying to us, "Try it! Put Me to the test, I want to blow you away with My generosity as you learn to be generous!" We are called to respect the altar of God - back in the days when priests offered sacrifices for the people, there was an increase of bribery as folks wanted to get rid of their lame, crippled and diseased cattle or sheep, and paid the priests to offer those on the altar, as if God were blind! Malachi was a prophet to the priests who had a lot to say about honoring and respecting the Lord of Heaven's Armies, as you can read in the verses noted above. God's principles don't change, He will always bless you if you put Him first. If we have all our bills in front of us and wait til they are paid up to pay our tithes, we will never manage the 10% because the bills always seem so insurmountable. But if we line them up and put the tithe at the head of the line, we will find that supernaturally, the money is there to pay the rest! The priests (pastors) are responsible to tell the people that God is righteous and deserves the firstfruits of our labor, as Malachi aptly points out. We will miss out on a huge life blessing if we allow that 10% of our paycheck, disability or unemployment check (whatever we are getting as income, as opposed to monetary gifts from others) to go unpaid to the local church, the storehouse of blessing. Tithing is probably the scariest thing we will ever do as Christians! It is easy to get saved, but it sure it hard to trust God with our money. Only 6% of the church in America tithes, according to Barna Research Group. This proved true several years ago, when Ps. Phil asked me what I had given in an offering. We discovered we'd given the same amount, and in a group of over 100 people, each of us had contributed 1/3 of the total offering taken that day. The 6% had prevailed, sadly. We are promised a return on our tithes and offerings, thirty, sixty or even a hundred times over what was given. No bank has ever given me that much of a return! What God can get through our hands and into others, He will get to us so we can do it again. If we are on food stamps, share some with others - there are always areas where we can give to people. We have to learn that God sees our heart, He knows how much we make, and He is asking us to repay Him for the blessing of being able to work, or being able to draw a check due to disability, unemployment, etc. We want everyone in this church to thrive, and tithing is foundational to making that happen. We must look at our hearts, decide to give the Lord the honor and respect He deserves, lay our tithes on the altar, and watch the miracles unfold! I can't wait to share more about this and tell you great stories of many who have tithed and received new jobs, raises, bonuses - all because we took a chance and risked loving God with our whole hearts. Verses Used: *Numbers 18:26 *Malachi 1:6-8 *Malachi 3:8-10 C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 22:16 First Fruits http://deansweetman.com/2011/02/23/first-fruits/ http://deansweetman.com/2011/02/23/first-fruits/#comments Wed, 23 Feb 2011 01:55:33 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=410 Leviticus 23:9-11 (NLT): Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest. On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the Lord so it may be accepted on your behalf. On that same day you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the Lord.

The First Fruits, though mentioned seven times in the New Testament, is an Old Testament concept. Before we move forward into this essential truth, we must understand that the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, or the Law is still important to us of the New Covenant. Why? Because, though the Law presents itself as a long list of rules, it is, in reality, God establishing truth. Yes, the Law without its fulfillment (JESUS!) is a curse (as Paul says) upon life, making things so very hard. But, after Jesus came and fulfilled the law with His death and resurrection, we became free to look at the Law as God’s truths, and it is from this platform that we proceed into the First Fruits.

The First Fruits came out of a festival where the Hebrews would bring their first cut of grain and a one year old male lamb to be sacrificed before God. The offerings were presented to the Priests (thank God we no long need a priest to mediate for us; we have Jesus, the High Priest) on the day after the Sabbath. The priests would prepare the sacrifices and place them on the burning alter. God would smell the smoke and accept the offerings. Very simple. So, how does that apply to us now? Seeing as this is Atlanta, there is an obvious lack of sheep. And, as stated before, we live in the New Covenant where Jesus fulfilled the Law, so…do we need lambs?

No. But the principle is still the same. You see, the First Fruits is not about giving God a lamb-burger. It is about remembering what God has done for us. If you believe as I do, you know that Jesus died on a Friday; was in the grave through Saturday (the Sabbath); and rose again on Sunday (the day after Sabbath). Think that over for a minute. Jesus was presented as the perfect replacement on the day after Sabbath! Jesus is God’s First Fruit. When Jesus was crucified before a blood thirsty crowd whose only goal was to silence Him forever, His blood became the First Fruit–the Fulfillment of the Law. God wanted Jesus’ blood more than the crowds screaming “Crucify Him!” He wanted it so much because He knew that when the blood and water hit the ground that it was a seed being planted. And that when Jesus rose again on the third day, He became the fulfillment of First Fruits Law, and from that moment on, the Harvesting of the NATIONS would begin!

You see, in this, the New Covenant, the First Fruits is about PEOPLE. All throughout His ministry, Jesus used the image of grain and wheat to represent people. (“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”) The New Covenant First Fruit Sacrifice is all about People (wheat/grain), Jesus (the lamb), and the holy Spirit (the wine–wine was also part of the sacrifice). So, when you give in the First Fruits Offering, you are giving to the empowerment of the House to reap the harvest. You are giving to the changing of people’s lives. It is always about the people.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2011/02/23/first-fruits/feed/ 0 Leviticus 23:9-11 (NLT): Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your... Leviticus 23:9-11 (NLT): Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest. On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the Lord so it may be accepted on your behalf. On that same day you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the Lord. The First Fruits, though mentioned seven times in the New Testament, is an Old Testament concept. Before we move forward into this essential truth, we must understand that the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, or the Law is still important to us of the New Covenant. Why? Because, though the Law presents itself as a long list of rules, it is, in reality, God establishing truth. Yes, the Law without its fulfillment (JESUS!) is a curse (as Paul says) upon life, making things so very hard. But, after Jesus came and fulfilled the law with His death and resurrection, we became free to look at the Law as God's truths, and it is from this platform that we proceed into the First Fruits. The First Fruits came out of a festival where the Hebrews would bring their first cut of grain and a one year old male lamb to be sacrificed before God. The offerings were presented to the Priests (thank God we no long need a priest to mediate for us; we have Jesus, the High Priest) on the day after the Sabbath. The priests would prepare the sacrifices and place them on the burning alter. God would smell the smoke and accept the offerings. Very simple. So, how does that apply to us now? Seeing as this is Atlanta, there is an obvious lack of sheep. And, as stated before, we live in the New Covenant where Jesus fulfilled the Law, so...do we need lambs? No. But the principle is still the same. You see, the First Fruits is not about giving God a lamb-burger. It is about remembering what God has done for us. If you believe as I do, you know that Jesus died on a Friday; was in the grave through Saturday (the Sabbath); and rose again on Sunday (the day after Sabbath). Think that over for a minute. Jesus was presented as the perfect replacement on the day after Sabbath! Jesus is God's First Fruit. When Jesus was crucified before a blood thirsty crowd whose only goal was to silence Him forever, His blood became the First Fruit--the Fulfillment of the Law. God wanted Jesus' blood more than the crowds screaming "Crucify Him!" He wanted it so much because He knew that when the blood and water hit the ground that it was a seed being planted. And that when Jesus rose again on the third day, He became the fulfillment of First Fruits Law, and from that moment on, the Harvesting of the NATIONS would begin! You see, in this, the New Covenant, the First Fruits is about PEOPLE. All throughout His ministry, Jesus used the image of grain and wheat to represent people. (“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.") The New Covenant First Fruit Sacrifice is all about People (wheat/grain), Jesus (the lamb), and the holy Spirit (the wine--wine was also part of the sacrifice). So, when you give in the First Fruits Offering, you are giving to the empowerment of the House to reap the harvest. You are giving to the changing of people's lives. It is always about the people. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 22:24 The Windows of Heaven http://deansweetman.com/2008/02/29/the-windows-of-heaven/ http://deansweetman.com/2008/02/29/the-windows-of-heaven/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:24:14 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2008/02/29/the-windows-of-heaven/ II Kings deals a lot with the life of Elijah and of the lives and history of Israel from which we can learn. A lot of these examples deal with the temple, tithes and money. A lot of times we can over-spiritualize money. I can’t tell you that when you give your tithes and offerings all will be well. We know what God says about money – we bring Him our first and our best. God requires us to trust Him in this realm, believe that He is bigger than our circumstance and believe He will bless you and cause you to overcome despite what you see. We don’t ignore natural circumstances, but there are very clear Biblical principles of how we are to react and act when we are faced with uncertainty – especially with money. This passage deals a lot with this principle.

This story is only one of two places in the Bible where we find the exact phrase “the windows of heaven.” II Kings 6:24 – At this point, the city of Sumaria had suffered under months of seige and famine. The economy was collapsing because the city was out of food and they couldn’t leave the city to grow or harvest more. The people were desperate. Elijah was in the city at the time. The King started to waver in His belief that God was bigger than the circumstances and that he would help them – he starts to blame God down in verse 33. Oftentimes when we are in a pressure situation we see what is really in our hearts. When we are surrounded by circumstances we find out what we are made of. That’s why tests are good for us because they help us to grow. If we aren’t happy with how we respond in a situation, we can identify what we need to improve and start to grow and change. Never be afraid of circumstances. Instead look at them as an opportunity to find out you can bring changes into world and ensure that next time you are confronted with similar circumstances you can react in a different way.

The King’s faith began to fail under this pressure. It also affected his staff, and his adviser in this passage was even more belligerent than him. It is part of our humanity to be shaken and upset by tragedy, but we can’t blame God for the bad things in our lives. God loves us more than we can understand and it is beyond His nature to bring tragedy and calamity into our lives. Even though we are living our lives according to God’s principles and in His kingdom, but things still happen and many of the situations we find ourselves in are a direct result of our decisions or the path we have walked up until that point. Our tendency to blame God is a result of a lack of understanding of who God really is and how He operates. He is good and just. He has given us free will to make our own decisions and even though He is there to guide us He does not prevent us when we decide to follow our own knowledge and deviate from the path He has laid out for us.This is how good He is – even when we make all of these bad decisions and make all of these problems for ourselves, when we get to the ending of trusting in ourselves and striving in our own ability and return to God, He comes back and redeems our situation.

Chapter 7:1 – Elijah prophesies that by noon the next day all will be well, the market will be thriving and the people will be eating. The adviser says that cannot happen, even if God opens the windows of heaven. Elijah tells him that he will see it but will not be able to partake in it. Here we have a bad, seemingly hopeless situation contrasted against what is possible through God. This also shows how quickly things can change with God. But the servant of the King is so angry and his heart is so turned against God that he insights God by saying “That can never happen.” It’s amazing how when we are faced with pressure we tend to loose our faith. It’s easy to have faith when things are good, but you know you have faith when things are bad. Faith is trust. Faith is trusting in what God says and that his promises will come to pass despite our circumstances or what we see around us.

Sometimes our brains can’t comprehend what God is saying to us. Jesus said He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit has to say to him. This hearing is in our Spirit and comes through faith. When we hear God and align ourselves with Him we enable him to move. God does things in ways we don’t understand, because his kingdom does not align with the natural world, and he loves to bring about his plans in a way that confounds us. When we trust that God is bigger than what we see in the natural, we open the door for him to work on our behalf – to open the windows of heaven – and for God’s favor in our lives. People who have favor always seem to be happy and content. Their lives aren’t perfect, but they know they are blessed and do not let natural circumstances affect them. Favor means kingdom blessing. Kingdom blessing brings no sorrow. People with favor allow God to move through their lives instead of worrying about how much they have in their lives.

The Scripture goes on to contrast the King’s behavior with the behavior of those on the opposite end of society. Four lepers were starving at the front gate of the city. They came to a revelation by saying “If we continue to sit here, we are going to die.” They decided to do something radical and go to the enemy camp to ask for food. The worst that could happen is that they would be killed, but they knew that if they continued where they were, they would also die. When you are in a circumstance, you have a choice of whether you are going to sit still and let that circumstance keep dictating and exercising its power over your life or to get up, move and make a change. When we start making moves toward change and taking steps of faith, God gets excited. God doesn’t need much from us – He just needs us to get up and make a move of faith and to see us trusting Him.

Because of the lepers’ action, God did something supernatural. As the lepers crept up, the enemy army heard the sound of 10,000 soldiers approaching. They were gripped with fear and they fled, leaving all of their food, resources and wealth. The lepers not only were fed, but they were able to bring the news of God’s miracle back to the city. The doubtful servant was trampled to death as the people ran from the city to collect the riches from the camp. He saw God move, but was unable to take part in it because of his lack of faith. He was challenged to believe, but couldn’t accept that God could do something so miraculous. When we are faced with difficult situations, we are challenged to believe. What will you do?

John 1: – The windows of blessing – the hinges of blessing swing on the hinges financial integrity and faith. We know what Malachi says, and this story in II Kings emphasizes faith. Windows don’t open by themselves, and if the hinges are broken the window won’t work properly. The hinges are financial integrity – giving, saving and living within my means – and trust – trusting that God is God and that despite what the circumstances say, God can change them. In this scripture, Jesus sees Nathaniel approach, and Jesus said “Here comes an honest man.” Nathaniel says, “How did you know me?” Jesus knew him before he came, and Nathaniel was so blown away that he declared “Teacher, you are the Messiah!” This is the first declaration besides that of John the Baptist. Jesus said “This is only the beginning of what you will see” and said that all would see heaven opened and angels going up and down on the son of man. Jesus introduces the concept of the open heaven. Somehow Jesus saw something on Nathaniel’s life that caused him to believe that Nathaniel had integrity and call him a “true son of Jacob.” This idea of a ladder going up to heaven goes all the way back to Jacob. He saw the heavens open and made a vow to God that he would give him ten percent of everything he had or acquired in the future.

Open heaven seems to be tied to our ability to trust God, give and sacrifice to Him. Financial integrity and faith will bring us into the amazing favor of God – a place where no matter how much I have or what I see, it doesn’t matter to me because I know who God is, I know that he loves me, I am going to keep moving no matter what and my heart is always content. The open heaven is everywhere that I look.

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