CENTRAL NYANZA

CONFERENCE

WEEK OF PRAYER
th th
27 APRIL – 4 MAY,
2019
‘PUTTING GOD FIRST’

COMPILED BY
PASTOR TOM OBUYA
CNC STEWARDSHIP
DIRECTOR

CNC STEWARDSHIP
MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT
SATURDAY

LEST WE FORGET THE PROMISES WE FIRST MADE WITH GOD

Genesis 28:20-22

Summary: It’s easy to become so comfortable at Shechem that we forget about the promises we
made at Bethel. Maybe, like Jacob, we were wandering around lost in life, but the grace of God
found us and comforted us in the day of our distress. This sermon stresses, we need to find our
way back to Bethel.

The journey from home. It must have been one of the loneliest nights of his life. Jacob has run
away from home. As he faced the reality of his failing eyesight, Isaac found himself thinking
more and more about the inevitability of his death. He needed to pass on the mantle of family
leadership and make disposition of his estate between his two sons.
Isaac prepared to bless Esau as head to the family. However, Isaac’s wife Rebekah favored their
son Jacob over Esau and successfully conspired with him to steal his brother’s blessing. When
Esau discovered that his brother had cheated him, he swore that Jacob would not live to enjoy the
rewards of his trickery. No matter what we’re after, the way we get it is just as important as
getting it.

Esau recognized that although there was nothing he could do about his lost birthright and stolen
blessing, he could do something to prevent Jacob from enjoying what rightfully belonged to him.
He resolved that when his father died, he would kill Jacob. Rebekah learned of Esau’s designs
and told Jacob to run fast and far to the distant home of her brother Laban.

Jacob was alone in the middle of the night, fleeing the murderous wrath of his brother. There he
was, miles from his home, perhaps on the first long journey of his life. The journey from home is
always a long and difficult journey to make. There he was , the grandson of Abraham, father of
the faith; there he was, the son of Isaac, whose own life has been spared because of his father’s
faith – separated from all he knew and loved. There he was, on the bleak summit of the Bethel
plateaus, with his head propped upon a stone for a pillow. There he lay – heart burdened and
spirit depressed.

Alone, but not deserted. Out thereby himself, Jacob discovered he was not alone. While feeling
dejected, he discovered that he was not deserted. Out there, away from the reach of Esau, Jacob
discovered that he was not out of the reach of God. As he dreamed, he saw the vision of a ladder
or stairway that stretched from heaven to earth, upon which angels were ascending and
descending. The Lord who stood above it told Jacob that one day his descendants would dwell in
the land and in the place where he slept. Jacob received the further assurance that God would be
with him and would one day bring him back to this place.

Jacob awoke and said: “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it! This is none other
than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen 28:16-17), NRSV). The next day
Jacob took the stone that had been his pillow, set it up as a monument, and consecrated it by
pouring oil on it. He called the place Bethel, which means “house of God”. Jacob made a vow,
saying, :If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to
eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, the Lord shall be
my God , and this stone shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one
tenth to you” (Gen 28:20-22), NRSV). Let us note a couple of things about Jacob’s pledge to
tithe. First, Jacob’s pledge was made when he was a wandering fugitive. His pledge was made
when he was at his weakest financially. His pledge was based on his faith that God would
provide him the means to keep it.

We ought never to assume that persons who tithe are necessarily more prosperous and free of
debt than others. We ought never to assume that those who pledge to tithe know they will be able
to keep their pledge or that they know how they will pay their tithe. We ought never to assume
that persons who tithe have their financial situations all worked out. “If they have my bills, they
wouldn’t be tithing,” some might say. How do you know they don’t have as many bills as you?

Like Jacob, many people who pledge to tithe are financially shaky at best. Jacob’s pledge was a
result of his belief in God’s promise of protection and care for him. Most people I know pledge
on the same basis. We pledge in faith that God will help us and provide the means for us to keep
our pledge. The apostle Paul reminds us, “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for
what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Rom 8:24 –
25, NRSV).

Secondly, Jacob’s pledge to tithe was a voluntary act. Jacob did not tithe because tithing was part
of God’s law at that time. The first Old Testament tither was Abraham. In Genesis 14:20
Abraham tithed to Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had as an act of thanksgiving to God for
victory in battle. In Genesis 28 Jacob pledged to tithe to God a tenth of all he had. Both of these
incidents occurred many generations before the law was given to Moses.

We tithe because the Scripture identifies tithing as an appropriate standard, one way of
expressing thanksgiving and faith. Other standards of giving lifted up by the Scriptures includes
that of the widow, who gave the two mites; Barnabas, who sold his field and gave his life. Each
gave not a tenth, but all. Their gifts of all, like Abraham’s and Jacob’s gifts of the tenth, were
given voluntarily, as acts of thanksgiving and expression of faith. For “God loves a cheerful
giver” (2 Cor. 9:7, NRSV).

At the close of Genesis 28, we see Jacob the homeless young man, making a faith pledge to give
God a tenth. By the opening of chapter 35, over thirty years have passed. We observe two things.
Frist, God has kept the promise made at Bethel; second, Jacob has not. Since the time that Jacob
rested his head on the stone in the middle of the night, he has become a very wealthy and
powerful person. He has settled at Shechem with his large family. He owned herds of livestock
and his land holdings were vast. God has kept every promise made to him. Jacob, however, has
become a comfortable at Shechem that he had forgotten is promise to return to the spot of his
heavenly visitation and build an altar there. He has forgotten that he had promised to give a tenth
of all he has to God.

The heart’s altar. It’s easy to become so comfortable at Shechem that we forget about the
promises we made at Bethel. That’s why I believe that every now and then we ought to
rededicate ourselves a new to God. I believe in renewing our stewardship and reviewing our
discipleship commitments. It’s easy to forget the promises we made when we were scared and
desperate or when we first felt the presence of Christ and the power of the holy Spirit.

But though our memories are short, God’s memory is long. God came to Jacob and said, “Arise,
go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make there an altar to the God who appeared to you when
you fled from your brother Esau” (Gen 35:1). Jacob then went to his household and said: “Put
away the foreign gods that ware among you and purify yourselves. Then let us arise and go up to
Bethel, that I may make there an altar to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and
has been with me wherever I have gone” (Gen 35:2-3).

Not only had Jacob forgotten his vow, but he had allowed strange gods to infiltrate his
household. When we forget our word to God and God’s words to us, it’s easy to become
infiltrated by strange gods, strange doctrines, and strange ideas. When we fail to remember that
God of Bethel, it’s easy to start making allowances and permit things that we know we
shouldn’t. Incorrect and forgotten stewardships commitments lead to shady discipleship. When
we fail to keep God first in our living, God also ceases to be the first in our living

May be that’s why the spiritual life of the church is sometimes so poor, and our stewardship has
become so shaky. When the early church had needs, people sacrificed and gave as God had
prospered them. Somewhere we started believing that we needed to get something back for what
we gave other than the blessings that God has given and continues to give. More sins and
strange practices have entered the life of the church through some of our fund-raising. Let’s go
back to the Bethel of sound biblical giving and stewardship where we pledge: “I’ll erect an
altar in my heart and give at least a tenth of all you give to me.”

We need not only to return to our Bethels of biblical stewardship and tithing; we need to return to
other Bethels of broken promises and forgotten vows. We need to go back to that Bethel and do
as we promised. We were taught to give in the church and to the church with thanksgiving and
faith. We were taught to respect God’s church, God’s preacher, and God’s people.

Maybe, like Jacob, we were wandering around in life, confused and lonely, but the grace of God
found us and comforted us in the day of our distress. We need to find our way back to Bethel.

When Jacob went back to Bethel, God met him there and called him again by his name, Israel.
When we return to Bethel, God will meet us there. We’ll hear God speak afresh and receive a
new vision and a new name. Lest we forget the promises we first made with God!
SUNDAY

SATAN’S EVIL SCHEMES

Key Text: “Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth
and sea, because the devil has gone down to you. He is filled with fury, because he knows
that his time is short…. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make
war against the rest of her offspring-those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the
testimony of Jesus”. (Revelation 12:12,17).

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

Introduction
It was a puzzling dream. He just could not make any sense of it. In his dream he has seen a
personage of great stature who he instinctively knew to be the devil. What had amazed him was
the fact that rather than the devil being frantic and burnout from overwork; he was actually
having deep nap. A snoring devil was just beyond his theological comprehension. In his dream,
he woke the devil and started interrogating him. He asked him, “Satan, according to the book of
revelation, you are supposed to be working overtime because you know your time is short. Why
are you taking a nap?” “Well”, the devil replied rubbing his eyes, “ am taking a nap because the
people in that church are asleep. If they wake up, I will also wake up” When the man in his
dream lifted his eyes, he saw the name Seventh Day Adventist CHURCH written on the wall of
the church.

There is no doubt whatsoever that this is the true church of God – a church began through divine
providence. However, the enemy of our Lord and of the saints has vowed that we will not enter
the kingdom. We must never forget for a moment that the enemy is a master schemer. He devises
schemes that best suit his purposes. When persecution fails he introduces compromise and
should compromise fail, he instills pharisaic righteousness in the saints. To the devil, the end
justifies the means.

A close analysis of this church we love will reveal that the enemy has infiltrated our ranks and
dispensed sleeping pills. With sleep misting and fogging our eyes, we have lost the clarity of
mind and lost track of the perilous times we are living in. Our mission as the movement of
destiny, with the last message of the dying world, has been lost sight of as we struggle with
sleeping sickness without much success like the disciples of Jesus during His trial at
Gethsemane.

By injecting us with his anesthesia, the devil has inflicted us with a serious deadly sleeping
sickness. Like Delilah, the devil has put us on his lap rocking us to sleep and has severed our
connection with God so that like Samson, we have no more strength to face our Philistines. The
warning of Jesus contained in the parable of the ten virgins seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
Unfortunately, sleep has clouded our minds that we cannot watch and pray. None of us is
immune from this sleep. Like the ten virgins, both the wise and the foolish, we have all
slumbered and slept. It is no wonder; the man in his dream saw the devil sleeping because he has
carried out his work as an anesthetist well.

The saddest thing about our sleep is that it also afflicts the converts who join us looking for God.
The mass exodus of the newly baptized back to their “Egypt” or other churches is a serious
indication that something is seriously wrong! Where can one blinded by sleep lead another blind!
It reminds us of the rebuke of Jesus to the Pharisees: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he
becomes one, you make him twice as much as a son of hell as you are”. (Matthew 23:5)

As we plan to witness and evangelize, we need to remember the words of Jesus: “When an evil
spirit comes out of man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it
says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept,
clean put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself
and they go in and live there. And the final condition of the man is worse than the first.”
(Matthew 12”43-45).

The pressing question comes, how has the devil put the remnant church to sleep? Has he been
effective in this tactics? We will now look at his strategic master plan of dealing with the
remnant church.

The Devil’s schemes of work

Ellen White, in her book. Spiritual Gifts – Volume 1, Pages 179-180, records the heart of the
scheming brainstorming session of the devil and his demonic cohorts. She writes: “I saw Satan
and his angles consulting together, He bade his angels go and lay snares especially for those
who were looking for CHRIST’S second appearing, and who keep all GOD’s Commandments.
Satan told his angels ha the churches were asleep, He would increase his power and lying
wonders, and he could hold them. But the sect of Sabbath – keepers we hate. They are
continually working against us, and taking from us our subjects, to keep that hated law of
God.
Go, make the possessors of lands and money drunk with cares. If you can make them place
their affections upon these things. We have them yet. They may profess what they please, only
make them, care more for money than the success of the CHRST’S kingdom, or the spread of
the truth we hate. Present the world before them in the most attractive light, that they may love
and idolize it. We must keep all the means in our ranks as we can. The more means they have,
the more they will injure our kingdom by getting our subjects. And as they appoint meetings in
different places, then we are in danger. Be vigilant then. Cause all the distraction you can.
Destroy love for each other. Discourage and dishearten their ministers for we hate them. Hold
up very plausible excuse to those who have the means, lest they hand it out. Control the money
matters if you can, and drive their ministers to want, and distress. This will weaken their
courage and zeal. Battle every inch of the ground. Make covetousness and love of earthy
treasures the ruling traits of their character. As long as these traits rule, salvation and grace
stand back. Crown all you can around them to attract them and they will be surely ours. Not
only are we sure of them, but their hateful influence will not be exercised towards others to
lead them to heaven. And those who shall attempt to give, put within them a grudging
disposition that it may be sparingly”

After recording the outcome of that demonic strategic scheming session, She outlines the
implementation of the action plans:

“I saw Satan carried out his plan well. And as the servants of God appointed meetings, Satan
and his angels understood their business, and were on the ground to hinder the work of God,
and he was constantly putting suggestions into the minds of God’s people. Some he led one
way, and some another, always taking advantage of veil traits in the brethren and sisters,
exciting and stirring up their natural besetments. If they are disposed to be selfish and
covetous, Satan is well pleased to take his stand by their side, and then with all his power he
seeks to lead them to manifest their besetting sins. If the grace of God and the light of truth
melt away these covetous, selfish feelings for a little and they do not obtain entire victory over
them, then they are to understand the saving influences, Satan comes in and withers up every
noble, generous principles and they think they have to do too much. They become weary of
well-doing, and forget all about the great sacrifice Jesus made for them, to redeem them from
the power of Satan, and hopeless misery”.

Implementation of the Plan

The devil seems to have implemented his chilling satanic plan with great success in our church
today. The saddest thing is that the devil is succeeding in his plan while the saints like the ten
virgins are sleeping, knocked out cold with his anesthesia. How I pray that the Lord will give us
the spirit of discernment so that we can be aware of the demonic schemes.

“O Lord, please give us a generous portion of these eye salve of the Holy Spirit to open our
blinded eye so that we can see clearly how and where the enemy has infiltrated in our midst.
Lord, may the scales that have so blinded us like Saul of Tarsus fall from our eyes, and the
wax that has made us deaf melt from our ears so that we may see and hear the roaring wolf
who seeks to snatch from us our starry crown.”

Let us closely analyze the areas of attraction and evaluate his success. The plans of our deadly
foe, once understood can be fortified and be made invincible through the indwelling Spirit.

1. Make the possessors of lands and money drunk with care.

 The fact that many of us work on Sabbath, flout all business ethics, indulge in
shady, underhand, financial and corrupt business and are quick to receive bribes is
 a clearer indication that mammon worship has gained momentum in the church of
God.
 We have become so drunk with e cares of this world that we not only misuse the
material blessings that the Lord bestows upon us, but also rob Him of what is His.
We do not steal, we ROB. There is a difference between stealing and robbing.
Stealing is where one uses stealth and skill to ensure there is no detection.
Robbing on the other hand is where one throws caution to the wind and
unashamedly, without fear, violently takes the possession of the other. The
clearest indication that the devil has completely infiltrated our church is seen in
the high number of our members that rob God of tithes and offerings. If statistics
are anything to go by, then the devil has gained control of about 80% of our
territory because 80% of our members rob God of His tithes and offerings.
 The weakness of our welfare ministry to the poor, hungry and needy is another
example of our greed and selfishness.
 The state of our infrastructures- our church buildings are in deplorable state. Our
institutions no longer measure up to our standards.

2. As long as we care for money more than for the success of Christ’s kingdom, the devil
does not really care what we profess.
 We need to be very honest with ourselves and ask, what do I really care for most?
What is at the center of my life? What excites me more, the success of my
business, and the increase in my pay package or the advancement of the kingdom
of God?
 We may claim that the success of the kingdom of God concerns us most.
However, we must be careful how we answer the above questions because “The
heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
(Jeremiah 17:5).
 There is only one way to find out whether we love God more than money ,
because Jesus said it is impossible to serve both. All we need is to answer the
following questions honestly. What do I do with my money? Do I return a faithful
tithe and give a liberal offering proportional to the blessings God has given me?
Do I give generously to the poor and the needy? Do I seek guidance from the rest
of the money in humble acknowledgement that all I am and have belong to God
and must be used under His direction? If the answer to these questions is yes,
praise the Lord. However, we need to be vigilant and watchful because the devil
will not give up on us easily and will try like pharaoh to recapture us and take us
back to Egypt.
 We must also keep in mind that the devil is not really concerned about the
accuracy of our theology as long as he controls our finances. On the same note,
we must remember that the devil is also not concerned about our service and
ministry as long as he controls us through our love of money. We can preach, sing,
perform miracles and serve to the best of our ability, but as long as we disregard
the will of Lord in regard to our finances, the devil is still the lord of our lives
and we are still his captives.
3. The devil seems to have been successful in implementing the action step of keeping the
means away from the church and keeping them within his ranks
 “There is no money, there is no money” seems like the best known chorus in the
Adventist church. Yes there is no money in the treasury of God because the devil
has filled us with selfishness and covetousness.
 Our greatest challenge is to be faithful with what we have and be rich with the
things of the Holy Spirit. Like Peter, we can still propagate the gospel in power
when we say” “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3;6).
 Let us remember that the strategy to keep the church poor is to ensure that we
have little means at our disposal to injure the kingdom of darkness. We need to go
on our knees and ask the Lord to set us free from the love of money and to fill us
with the grace of giving. How I pray that the Lord will move us to give and give
until like the children of Israel when contributing towards the construction of the
sanctuary, there may be more than we need. We need to pray that the demons of
greed and covetousness should be cast from us. When set free, even the little from
all of us will make a big difference.
4. The devil’s most deadly action plan is to destroy love in our midst
 If there is an area the devil has had a field day in our church is destroying the love
we ought to have one for another. The destructive church politics at all levels of
the church, the division in our midst, the gossips, the character assassination,
tribalism, nationalism, racism an all other isms are a clear indication that the devil
has reaped a real harvest in our midst.
 If love is lacking in our midst, then where are we going/ If there is no love then
everything else makes no sense. As we devour and tear each other into pieces,
how can we forget the words of Paul: “ If I speak in tongues of men and
angels…If I have faith that can move mountains….If I give all I possess to the
poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I am nothing”. (1
Corinthians 13:1-3). Or have we forgotten the words of the Apostle John:
“Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer
has eternal life in him.’ (1 John 3:15).
5. The demons have also been mandated to discourage and dishearten ministers. The
demons are also to ensure that the ministers are poor thus distressed.
 With the devil controlling the money matters, making our members not to give
and if they give, to give grudgingly, it implies that there are not sufficient funds to
take care o the gospel ministers.
 In the sad history of the Israelites, whenever the Levites, who had no inheritance,
were neglected, they would get discouraged, give up the ministry and try to make
a living to support their families. It is impossible to serve two masters. It is
impossible for a minister to work full time for God and try to make a living to
support himself.
 Our unfaithfulness in returning our tithes have discouraged and disheartened
many ministers tempting them to involve themselves in other income generating
projects. This conflict of interest weakens both the minister and the church. It is
very clear that the devil has also scored another one in that regard.
 6. The demons were commanded to ensure that the people who have the means give
excuse rather than give up their means to the cause of God.
 Excuses, excuses – we give so many. What excuse do you give as the reason for
withholding your means from God? Ever heard the following?
 I am so broke. I am sure God will understand and forgive me.
 There are others who have the money to support the cause. I do not have the
money. After all, the people where the church started are responsible for ensuring
it continues.
 My income is so little; I will not survive if I give. Even God knows that.
 I am in debt. I will return my tithes and offerings as soon as I get out of debt.
 The workers are misusing the money, so I will not give
 I do not have to give the money to the church. I will give it to a more worthy
cause.
 Why should I support the pastor to have a better lifestyle than myself? I have to
look after myself first.
 It is important to note that all the myriad excuses actually emanate from self. Self
needs to be crucified with Christ!

7. The demons were also told to ensure that those who attempted to give gave grudgingly.
 It is true that there are those who give, but it is not with a cheerful spirit. The
giving is painful. Some of us give but have not yet discovered the joy of generous
giving.
 Others give only the tithe and little or no free will offering. This is actually a
pointer that the giving is forced.
 Still others give, but like Ananias and Sapphira what we give as tithe is not an
exact percentage of our income We give to create an impression in the minds of
others that we are faithful while lying to the Holy Ghost. Indeed it is by the
mercies of God that we are not consumed.

God‘s Counter Strategy

Even though the devil has a scheme, Our God has a winning counter strategy. Listen to the
following:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’
to ungodliness and to worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright and godly lives in
this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ”. (Titus 2:11-13)

“Finally, be strong in the Lord an in his mighty power. Put on the fill armor of God so that
you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11)

“They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony, they did not
love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Revelation 12:11)

“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur…” (Revelation
20:10)
“The throne of God and of the lamb will be in the city and his servants will serve him… And
they will reign forever and ever” ((Revelation 22:3,5)
Beloved, the devil may have a master strategic plan but our God will definitely win with His
counter strategy. Those who have been faithful stewards will reign with him forever and ever.
Amen.

MONDAY

THE GREATEST DECEPTION

Key Text: “And throw the worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30).

Introduction

Their beloved son had just finished his “O” levels and passed with flying colors. The excited
parents wanted to ensure that their son got admission to a reputable university He applied and
was admitted to a reputable university in the States. They were overjoyed but there was one
hitch! They did not have a healthy Bank Statement to present to the American Embassy. In their
search, a close friend offered to assist but at a fee of Ksh 500,000. Their friend had connections
with some fellows in the Bank who “created” a fake Bank Statement. The loving parents sold
their prime plot in the city and gave him the money and within a few days they received a “Bank
Statement” with which their son was granted a visa.

Soon the US anti graft team detected this corruption . The Embassy sent a message to the port
of entry and the young man was repatriated. The disappointed parents went to pick him from the
airport and upon interrogation by the authorities they “spilled the beans” Their friend was put
under custody but soon bribed his way out. Their betrayal incensed him!

Immediately, he visited the family and threatened them with his revenge. A few days later, their
timber house was set on fire at night. With the exception of the father, the rest perished in the
inferno. The family not only lost their money, but their lives as well as a result of deception. The
tragedy was that they perished after being deceived by someone they trusted. Some lies have
severe consequences, but the greatest tragedy is to be deceived and loose eternal life

The greatest tragedy in life would be to discover only late that the whole life has been based on a
lie. The greatest tragedy for the Christian is to be utterly convinced that he/she is heavenly bound
only to find himself/herself outside that heavenly celestial city. Jesus issued the following stern
warning, pertaining to the greatest delusion, which we must take very seriously.

“Not everyone who says to me Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does
the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord did we not
prophecy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers” ((Matthew :21-
23)
Beloved, we must take the word of God seriously and be willing to do His will. There must be a
deep willingness to obey all that God has revealed. If we will inherit eternal life and enter that
celestial city, our greatest duty is to ascertain the will of God . Such as stance will save us from
being banished from the presence of God on that day.

The true picture

The greatest peril to our souls is the fact that most of us are unfaithful stewards. Very few of us
are faithful in returning our tithes and offerings. Two years ago in one city church, the pastor
almost fainted upon discovering that only 23 members out of the 3000 who attended the church
daily, sang with the gusto, participated in Sabbath School Action Units and performed other
religious rounds were faithful and consistent in returning tithes and offerings. His sadness
intensified when one close analysis, he discovered that even though the 23 members returned
tithe, it was not even 10% in some cases. Some of these members were suffering from the
Ananias – Saphira syndrome. This is an acute spiritual sickness wherein tithes and offerings are
given not so much as a fruit of a personal, intimate relationship with God, but to portray an
image of piety and commitment to God. It’s meant to create a certain favorable impression in the
minds of the other believers that the giver is a faithful steward.

In another church, the pastor discovered that there was an increase in the number of members
who returned tithe from around the month of September. One close scrutiny, he discovered the
reason for increased giving was not a deeper conviction from the Holy Ghost but because the
church elections were just around the corner. Such giving was not motivated by the love of God
but by the love of church position.

Why the unfaithfulness?

I believe the reason many of us are unfaithful in the returning of tithes and offering is because we
have been deluded by the devil to think that somehow God who is the personification of
forgiveness will wink at our unfaithfulness on the day of Judgment. We convince ourselves that
Jesus, our compassionate Savior who understands our financial plight will be kind to us on that
day. Beloved, such a thought is a great delusion from the devil. The main question we must
answer is. Can I be an unfaithful steward and make it to heaven? This is a very crucial question
because if the answer is no, then most of us are in grave danger of being shut out of the kingdom
of God. On the other hand if the answer is yes, then we are all safe and free from any
stewardship obligations.

Some will argue that to ask that question is to be legalistic because we live in the dispensation of
grace. They must be reminded that grace does not give us the license to disobey the express will
of God. In fact, when the grace of God is working in the heart the inclination of such a person is
to obey all the revealed will of God. Such a person does not obey the will of God so as to earn
salvation. The motivation for obedience is because the person has experienced salvation.
Disobedience to the express will of God is therefore a proof that the person, regardless of what is
professed, is still a stranger to the will of God.
The question still comes, can I be an unfaithful steward in regard to material possessions and still
inherit the Kingdom of heaven? The answer is both “yes” and “no”.

There are those who are ignorant about the issues of tithe and offerings. The Bible is very clear
about how God deals with them. Jesus throws light on that subject as He says in John 9:41: “If
you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you see, your guilt
remains”. Paul also throws light on the subject in his speech to the Athenians “In the past God
overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent”, (Acts
17:30). In short, if I were ignorant about the issues of tithe and offerings, then God would
overlook my unfaithfulness during the Day of Judgment because I was not willfully disobedient.
However, when I know the truth and still persist in the path of disobedience, then as Jesus said
my guilt remains.

We will now take time to go through the words of Jesus to ascertain whether I can still inherit
eternal life when I knowingly and consciously choose the path of unfaithfulness in issues of
stewardship. It is important to underscore that the way I actually relate to money is actually an
indicator of who is the real boss of my life – whether God or Mammon. We will now look briefly
at the Parable o f the Talents in Matthew 25;14-2 to answer our very crucial question- what is
truly the fate of the unfaithful steward?

The Stewards

Let us look at a few points :-

1. Verse 14 makes it clear that what the man entrusted to his servants was his property. This
is very important to underscore because in our unfaithfulness, we seem to forget the fact
that everything that we are and all that we posses does not belong to us, but belongs to
God. If we really understood this and allowed it to saturate and influence our thinking,
there would be no unfaithfulness in our stewardship obligations. Many unfortunately
view their possessions as their own and use as they please. They MUST be reminded that
they themselves belong to God because He created them and has redeemed them by the
precious blood of His Son. Consequently, all the profit from their labor belongs to Him.
We must never forget that not only the 10% that belongs to God – but also the 90%.
Therefore, we MUST consult Him on how we use even the 90%.
2. Verse 14 also makes it very clear that those entrusted with the property were servants.
The Greek word “doulos” can also be translated as slaves. One undisputed fact about
slaves is that they existed solely to do the will of their master. The slave carried out the
instructions of the master to the letter without questioning the wisdom of the master. We
must remember that we are slaves of righteousness after God has redeemed us from the
slavery of Sin. Our sole reason for existence is to only please our Heavenly Master
without questioning His wisdom and instructions.
3. Verse 15 tells us that each slave was given the talents according to his own ability. This
underscores an important fact that all have been called by God and have been given
some special abilities to assist in the furtherance of His Kingdom. The abilities may not
be the same but God expects us to utilize all that He has entrusted to each of us faithfully.
There is nobody who God has not given a talent to be used in His service. Consequently,
 God will require an account from everyone for what we have done with what He has
entrusted us with.
4. Verses 16-18 explain to us what each steward did with what was entrusted to him. It is
evident from the story that two were faithful but one was not.
The Master Will Return

One fact, which many of us do not realize even though we pay lip service to God, is the fact that
our Master will surely return. The passage of time sometimes lessens the urgency of the coming
of our Lord, but as sure as the sun rises from the east, Jesus will come.

1. Verse 19 predicts a long delay. The parable of the 10 virgins reveals what actually
happens when the bridegroom tarries – the saints all slumber and sleep. The long wait has
a way of making us careless and insensible to the demands that the Lord has on each one
of us. When we were first baptized, many of us loved the Lord and were faithful stewards
of His property. Unfortunately, the delay has made us careless. The real truth is that most
of us would really be shocked to see Christ coming now because our accounts are not in
order. Many of us have become like the steward in Matthew 24:48-50: “But suppose
that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and
he then begins to beat his fellow servant and to eat and drink with drunkards. The
master of that servant will come on the day when he does not expect him and at an
hour when he is not aware of”.
2. Whether we are ready or not, whether we like it or not, our Master will come. When He
comes each one of us will inevitably settle our accounts with Him. Jesus makes this very
clear in Revelation 2:12: Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me , and I will
give to every one according to what he has done.” Beloved, the kind of reward He will
give will be determined by what we have done with that which was entrusted to us.

The Rewards

The Bible is very clear about the rewards that stewards are given. The basis of that reward
depends on the kind of stewardship exercised by the steward. There are two kind of rewards-
eternal life or eternal damnation Talking about that day of reckoning, Prophet Daniel says in
Daniel 12:2: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting
life, others to shame and everlasting contempt”. Jesus adds in John 5:28-29: “Do not be
amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and
come out – those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to
be condemned” It is very clear that if we are unfaithful stewards, even if we are in the grave,
we are not beyond our Master’s reach. He will resurrect us so that we can give an account of our
stewardship.

From the Parable, we still further learn:

1. Verse 21 and 23 brings out a very important fact – the rewards for both faithful stewards
are the same because the master tells them both’ “Well done, Good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
 Come and share your master’s happiness. “The reward for faithfulness is the same.
Therefore, as we utilize our talents, we must not be envious of those who have received
more. All that the Master expects of me is to be faithful with what He has given me. All
the Maser expects from me is a faithful tithe of what He has given me and a free will
offering in keeping with his blessings.
2. In verses 24-30, Jesus goes to great lengths to show the fate of the unfaithful steward. A
close analysis of the action of this servant is not that the slandered the property of the
master like most of us do he simply refused to invest in my opinion if I give somebody
my money and he returns it intact, I would commend him than if he actually stole from
on me. Stealing is more serious than not investing, However the fact that the servant was
not faithful in carrying out his master’s instructions was in itself enough to bring serious
punishment upon him. One main problem is that like the steward in this parable, we do
not carry out the instructions of our master but we question the right he has to tell us what
to do.
3. From the Bible, the fate of the unfaithful steward is very evident: “And throw that
worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth”. (Matthew 5:30) “There master of the servant will come on a day when he
does not expect him and at an hour when he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces
and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth”. Matthew 25:50-51). The words, cutting into pieces implies to meet death upon
the unfaithful steward.

Conclusion

From the words of Jesus, it is very clear that God cannot tolerate unfaithfulness on the part of
stewards. It is a biblical fact that unfaithful stewards will be locked out of the New
Jerusalem. Those who argue that God cannot leave all those millions of members out of the
Kingdom just on the basis of returning of tithe and giving offerings need to remember that in
the salvation history, God saved only Lot and his daughters because they were faithful to
him. God is looking for faithful stewards, who are willing to follow the narrow path and pay
any cost that following Jesus demands. The challenge comes to you beloved, are you willing
to be a faithful steward regardless of the cost? May the Lord give you the grace to follow
Him all the way and to be particular in following his instructions without wavering. Beloved
please do not allow the devil to incorporate you into the greatest deception which makes
many think they can inherit the kingdom of heaven even if they are unfaithful stewards.
*********************************************************************
TUESDAY

BETRAYAL IN THE CHURCH

Key Text: “Then one of the twelve-the one called Judas Iscariot – went to the Chief priests
and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted to
him thirty pieces of silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand
him over.” (Matthew 26:14-16).

“Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them” ‘The one I kiss is the man arrest him,’
Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabi!’ and kissed him”, (Matthew 26:48-49)

Introduction

It seems like they no longer do it nowadays when they baptize people. However, in the earlier
days, before the baptismal candidate was lowered into the water, the pastor would ask him/her
what Christian name he/she would wish to be called. The candidates came up with all kinds of
names that were meant to witness to the fact that they had forsaken the world and had joined the
church of the living God. Choosing a name was always a difficult task because the name chosen
was meant to present the character of the person in the best possible light. Church leaders would
insist that the first Christian names had to be those that are found in the Bible. Generally
speaking, people chose the names of the people whose characters they admired and who had
lived lives worth emulating.

However, it has always amazed me that I have never met anybody called Judas In fact, the name
Judas fills many hearts with such disgust that nobody would dare name a child after him.
Disgust, abhorrence and serious negativity surround the name of Judas. To call a person Judas, is
to heap the greatest insult on that person’s head. Why is the name of Judas such an anathema?

Jesus, our compassionate savior uttered some very strong words about Judas: The Son of Man
will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It
would have been better for him if he had not been born.” (Matthew 26:23-24). Those are very
strong words from our compassionate Savior.
The Apostle Peter also hints what they all thought about Jesus: “With the reward he got for his
wickedness, Judas bought a field; There he fell headlong; his body burst open and all his
intestines fell out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called the field in their
language Akeldama, that Field of Blood “ (Acts 1:18,19). The graphic description of the death
of Judas by Peter seems to imply that Judas deserved what he got for behaving too wickedly.
There is no greater wickedness than betraying a friend. Jesus must have been deeply hurt by the
action of his beloved disciple. Hoping to appeal to his dulled conscience so that even at that time
Judas could come back to Him in repentance, Jesus asked. “Judas, are you betraying the Son of
Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48).
Wonder of wonders! What motivated Judas to do such a wicked, unthinkable, treacherous act?
How could Judas sell his master for only thirty pieces of silver, the price of a common slave? We
are always very quick to pronounce judgment on Judas. As we contemplate about it, we declare:
“I could never do such as wicked thing to my Savior! However, we need to tread very softly as
we make that quick judgment because many of us are in danger of betraying our master. We need
to seriously contemplate the warning in Hebrews 6:4-6: “It is impossible for those who have
once been enlightened, who have tested the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall
away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of
God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace”

One greatest puzzle is show could a person who walked, talked and served with the master for
over three years suddenly turn against the Master and betray him? The very fact that Judas
betrayed Jesus should actually warn us to be very careful and vigilant because we can also do the
same. So as to avoid betraying our master, we need to learn from the life of Judas and by the
grace of God examine where he erred and avoid taking the same path. We should look carefully
the life of Judas, with a lot of humility because if we are sincerely honest with ourselves, there is
an element of Judas in all of us. We should pray that the story of Judas will serve as a warming to
us, that we walk with humility heeding the warning of Paul; “These happened to them as
examples and ere written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has
come. So, if you think you are standing, be careful that you do not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:11-
12).

Beloved, we must not be too quick to blame Judas, instead we need to tread very softly and be
very vigilant lest we are overtaken by his fate. We need to scrutinize the life of Judas with a
prayerful heart so that we will not betray our beloved master. If we prayerfully scrutinize that
life, we will learn precious lessons that will assist us to be faithful to the end like the other
disciples and not fall by the wayside.

As Ellen White in Desire of Ages, p 703 puts it: “The history of Judas presents the sad ending
of life that might have been honored of God. Had Judas died before his last journey to
Jerusalem, he would have been regarded as a man worthy of honor among the Twelve and
one who would be greatly missed. The abhorrence which has followed him through the
centuries would not have existed but for the attributes revealed at the close of his history. But
it was for a purpose that his character was laid open to the world. IT WAS TO BE A
WARNING TO ALL WHO, LIKE HIM SHOULD BETRAY SACRED TRUSTS”.
The call of Judas
Judas had joined the disciples when multitudes were following Christ. The Savior’s teaching, the
Savior’s miracles of healing the sick, the lame, the blind and the multitude that flocked around
Jesus had a magnetic influence of attracting Judas to Christ. When Judas saw the dying laid at
the feet of Jesus and he witnessed the mighty power of Jesus in healing sick, casting out demons,
and raising the dead, he could not help but feel in his being the evidence of Christ’s power. When
he listened to the sermons of Savior, he found them more powerful and superior to any that he
had heard before. We can identify with Judas, can’t we? Haven’t we felt the same thing and felt
for ourselves the magnetic attraction of Jesus?

Judas developed a great love for the Savior and desired to be with Him. He felt a desire in his
soul to be changed in character and life and hoped to experience that dynamic change by
connecting with Jesus.

Jesus, even though he could read his heart, did not discourage him. He invited him to join the
little band of his inner circle of disciples. When we read the Bible, it is clear that Jesus had many
disciples. In Luke 10, an account is recorded wherein Jesus sent seventy-two disciples to preach.
However, a time came to select the inner circle of disciples and Jesus selected twelve. The Bible
shows clearly that the ordination of the Twelve was performed after the Whole night of prayer on
the part of Jesus. Among the twelve chosen, Judas was one of them. Therefore, when we think of
Judas at this juncture, we see a man who seems so godly, effective and who loves the master so
much that he seems to have forsaken all for the sake of the master.

When Jesus sent the twelve disciples on their outreach mission, the Bible says he gave them
power to preach, to heal the sick and cast out demons. Judas was not only an eloquent preacher,
but his ministry was powerful with many miracles performed though him. When we read the
Desire of Ages page 704, Ellen White says: “Judas was highly regarded by the disciples and
had great influence over them.” To all intents and purpose, Judas was the one disciple whose
opinion was eagerly sought and easily accepted by other disciples. Judas seems to have had a
great influence upon the disciples and was regarded by as one who was endowed with wisdom.
The other disciples seemed to have had a lot of faith in his business acumen that they entrusted
him with the management of their financial affairs. In other words, there was nothing outwardly
wrong with Judas. He was a great preacher; he cast out demons and performed many miracles in
the name of the Lord. His love and devotion to the cause of Christ impressed those who saw him
and interacted with him.

For those of us greatly impressed by any powerful display of the gift of the Spirit and seek for
such a display of spiritual power in our lives and ministry, they need to be very cautious. Indeed,
the fate of Judas strongly underscores the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23: Not everyone who
says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord Lord did we not prophesy in
your name and in your name drive our demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell
them plainly, ‘I never knew you, Away from me you evil doers!”
Judas could preach, heal the sick, cast out demons and perform many miracles. He walked,
talked and followed the master and seems to have loved Him. What really went wrong? What
made Judas to fall?

The fall of Judas

An analysis of what goes on in the mind of a person leading him to commit certain heinous acts
is a difficult thing to fathom. However, the Bible gives us some glimpses into the mind of Judas
through the words he spoke. Spoken words are good in revealing what a person hides in the
heart. Spoken words reveal the values or evil feelings cherished in the heart. The Bible and the
Spirit of Prophesy actually reveal what actually motivated Judas. Consider the following:

1. “But Judas did not come to a point of surrendering himself fully to the Lord. He did
not give up his worldly ambition of his love for the position of a minister of Christ; he
did not bring himself under the divine molding.” E.G. White DA, 704. It is very clear
that ambition and the love of money were the greatest motivating factor in the life of
Judas. Beloved, is ambition and the love of money not a great motivating factor in most
of our decisions? Are we really any different from Judas in this regard?

2. “But while listening daily to the lessons of Christ and witnessing His unselfish life,
Judas indulged a covetous disposition. The small sums of money that came into his
hands were a continual temptation. Often when he did a little service for Christ, or
devoted time for religious purposes, he paid himself out of this mereger funds”. E.G
White. DA 70. . it is clear again that the love of money was the snare that trapped Judas

3. “”In all that Christ said to His disciples, there was something with which in heart,
Judas disagreed,. Under his influences the leaven of disaffection was fast doing its
work. The disciple did not see the real urgency in all this; but Jesus saw Satan was
communicating his attributes to Judas and thus opening up a channel through which
to influence the other disciples.: E.G White, DA707 . We need to note that the moment
we start questioning the wisdom of the word of God and start explaining away some of
His express commands, then we open ourselves to be infiltrated and used by the devil

4. Ellen G. White throws light into the cause of the fail of Judas in the following words:
“Judas made no open opposition, nor seemed to question the Savior’s lessons. He
made no outward murmur until the time of the feast in Simon’s house. When Mary
anointed the Savior’s feet, Judas manifested his covetous disposition. At the reproof of
Christ, his very spirit seemed turned to gall. Wounded pride and desire for revenge
broke down the barriers and the greed so long indulged held him in control.
THIS WILL BE THE EXPERIENCE OF EVERYONE WHO PERSISTS IN TAMPERING WITH
SIN. THE ELEMENTS OF DEPRAVITY THAT ARE NOT RESISTED AND OVERCOME
RESPOND TO SATANS TEMPTATION, AND THE SOUL IS LED CAPTIVE AT HIS WILL.”
E,G. White. DA 707. Therefore, it is very clear that the real problem of Judas was love of
money. Money was more important to Judas than anything else. We may be very zealous for God
and be powerful in our service, but as long as the love of money is cherished, we are in the same
danger of betraying our Master. Jesus, recognizing the seductive power of money warned. ‘No
one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be devoted
to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
Judas could not worship Jesus and Money at the same time and neither can we! We have to make
a decision pertaining to who will be the Lord of our lives – either Jesus or money. It can never be
Jesus and money – that is impossible.

The challenge

Everything that has not been surrendered to the Lord leaves a gap in our lives. The devil will take
advantage of these gaps and wiggle his way back into our lives. Slowly, with great stealth, we
will find ourselves sinking lower and deeper into darkness as the devil battles every inch of the
ground to regain back the control he had lost in our lives.
The saddest thing is that most of us in the church are in serious danger because of the
unfaithfulness on our part in the returning to God a faithful tithe and giving a generous offering.
This very fact makes it vividly clear that we worship money not the living God. Unless we
repent, the fate of Judas will also overtake us because unknown to us, the devil will have taken
full control of our lives. Our love for money will become the blind spot, through which we will
be unable to discern the devil as he infiltrates in our lives. We will then have had the sad
experience described by Jesus: “”When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid
places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left’. When it
arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept and put in order. Then it goes out and takes with
it seven more spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final
condition of that man is worse than the first.” Matthew 12:43-45.

Saints of the living God. Let us heed the following warning statements from the pen of
inspiration and repent. Let us pray that the Lord will set us free from the love of money, which is
mammon worship.

“Satan took advantage of Judas’ covetous, selfish disposition, and led him to murmur against
the ointment Mary dedicated to Jesus. Judas looked upon it as a great waste; it might have
been sold and given to the poor….......Every selfish, covetous individual will fall out by the
way. Like Judas, who sold his Lord, they will sell good principles and a noble generous
disposition for a little of earth’s gain. All such will be sifted out from God’s people. Those who
want heavens, must, with every energy they posses, be encouraging the principles of heavens”
E G White, Spiritual Gifts Vol 1, 182

Let us not forget the words of Paul. “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with
that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and
harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of
all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money have wandered from the faith, and have
pierced themselves with many griefs,” 1 Timothy 6:8-10

Let us be watchful and pray so that the fate of Judas will not overtake us. .
***************************************************
WEDNESDAY

PLANNED GIVING.

Key Text: ‘Now about the collection for God’s people” Do what I told the Galatians Churches
to do. On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping
with his income, saving up, so that when I come no collection will have to be made.” (1
Corinthian 16:1-2)

Introduction
In His message to his people through Prophet Malachi. God accuses His people of a two pronged
robbery! His charge is that they have robbed him in tithes and offerings.

There is a serious crisis in our churches as far as giving is concerned. As we have underscored,
only 20% of our members return tithe of some kind. This implies that at least 80% of our
members are unfaithful stewards. As we have underscored, God takes unfaithfulness very
seriously. Unfaithfulness is a deadly sin in the eyes of the Lord because it dethrones God and
enthrones mammon.

A closer analysis of the giving trend also reveals a very disappointing trend. Of the 20% who
return tithe, very few give generous offerings(combined offerings). It seems like many feel they
have “fulfilled all righteousness” after they have returned the tithe. They believe that they are in
good books with the Lord now that the tithe has been returned. They fail to realize that in God’s
economy, the giving of offerings is as important as the returning of tithes. In fact, it is the giving
of a generous offering that shows the deep love we have for the Lord because offerings are given
as a token of appreciation for the blessings the Lord has showered upon us. In God’s sight, the
giving of offering is as crucial as the returning of tithes. Someone put it aptly when he said, “
Tithes test out loyalty to God and offerings reveal the depth of our relationship with
God.”

After most of us have returned the tithe, we give offerings depending on our emotions. It is for
this reason that the giving of offerings is sporadic. If the person calling for Tithes and Offerings
during divine worship is able to stir us emotionally, we give generously. If he/she lacks charisma
and does not touch our emotions, we give grudgingly or even not at all. What a tragedy to allow
our giving to be influenced by which side of the bed we woke up from! Because the giving of
offering is an act of worship, each person MUST give careful consideration pertaining to what
we give as offerings.

Somebody once remarked sadly that we give our offerings to God as we give food to our dogs at
home. Many who own dogs to do not include them in the food budget! Dogs eat what remains
after we have eaten and have had our fill. Beloved, do we not treat God the same way? Do we
not give “change” that has remained from our purchases as offerings to the Holy God? Oh that
the Lord will convict us of our sin and enable us to give Him a perfect offering that has no
blemish! An offering that has been subjected to much prayer and careful consideration after a
careful contemplation of God’s ultimate sacrifice of His only Son at Calvary!

The time has come for us to stop giving impulsively and selectively. Let us consider our income,
meditate upon the blessings of God and rationally set aside the offering that is worthy for the
King of kings and Lord of lords, the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth and everything
that is in them. To be able to give in this fashion, we need a serious plan. We should engage our
noblest, creative thoughts as pertaining to the quality and quantity of the offerings we bring to
render our worship to God.

As we give our offerings, we must also keep in mind that he whole world is our parish. We must
not only think about Jerusalem, but we must think about the whole world and remember our
responsibility to saturate the whole world with the saving message of salvation.

In short, we are saying that we must not only plan our giving, but we must also think globally.
We must not only be concerned with our own local needs, but we must remember that the Savior
commissioned us to spread the gospel to the whole world. We must remember that, tithe alone is
not sufficient to finish the work, because it only caters for the needs of the ministers, the Levites.
In order to complete our task, we need more resources than must tithes. Our members must be
challenged to give offerings generously and liberally.

God has Plan

Listen to the pen of inspiration:

“God desires all His stewards to be exact in following divine arrangement. They are
not to offset the Lord’s plan by performing some deed of charity or giving some gift or
some offering when and how they, the human agents see fit. It is a very poor policy for
men to improve on God’s plan….” E.G. White, 9T 247

Beloved, we must note that God has a plan, which we are advised not to change or to modify.
She then reveals that divine arrangement:

“God calls upon all to give their influence to His own arrangement. He has made His
plan known and all who would co-operate with Him must carry to his plan instead of
daring to attempt an improvement on it… Remember that the house of worship is the
Lord’s property and that it is to be scrupulously cared for, but funds for this work are
not to come from the tithe… A very plain definite message has been given to me for our
people. I am bidden to tell them they are making a mistake in applying the tithe to
various objects, which though good in themselves, are not objects to which the Lord
has said the tithes should be applied… One reasons that the tithe may be applied to
school purposes. Still others reason that canvassers and colporteurs should be
 supported from the tithe. But a great mistake has been made when the tithe is drawn
from the object for which it should be used-the support of ministers.” E.G. White, 9T
249,

It should be clear by now that we need other resources to complete our mission apart
from tithes. It is for that very reason that God challenges us to give generous offerings.
For the work of the Lord to develop in a balanced way, our members are challenged to
embark on the adventure of Planned Giving. In this way, they will not only support the
gospel ministry but all other aspects of the work, both locally and globally.

The Origin of Planned Giving

The concept of Planned Giving is not a gimmick of the church to raise funds, but it s a concept
that originated early in the heart and mind of God. God had planned the giving of His Son as
“the lamb slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8).

Jesus planned the giving of the gospel to the entire world. He also planned the method of
delivery of this gift. He said to His disciples, ”you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1”8). It is important to note what each of
those four target areas represents as far as the proclamation of the gospel is concerned.

 “Jerusalem” – represents our witness in the local church and the local community.
 “All Judea” – illustrates the responsibility that is ours to impact the people and
territories of local conferences or unions.
 “Samaria” – represents our unit in sharing the gospel in the international
communities of our world divisions.
 “To the end of the earth”- represent our global assignment as a world church. it is
for this very reason that the church is concentrating its resources in the unentered
areas
One Adventist commentator argues that Acts 1:8 should also be considered as the Biblical Model
for Balanced Giving.

1. Jerusalem – “The local Church”

2. Judea – “The local conference and Unions
3. Samaria – “The Division”
4. Ends of the earth – “ General Conference-World Mission”

Planned Giving is a Divine plan.

“It was by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who gave His life for the life of the world that this
plan for systematic giving was devised” E.G White, Counsels on Stewardship,p.66

God has devised a plan by which all may give as He has prospered them, and which will make
giving a habit without waiting for special calls….” (3T,p. 411)
Seventh – Day Adventists Follow the Plan.

The SDA church, in its commitment to follow the divine plan, recommends and encourages
systematic giving for the sharing of the gospel in five important areas: 1) Tithe, 2) Combined
Offerings,3) Camp meeting Offerings, 4)Local Church Development/building, 5) Special
Offerings

Planned Giving – Step 1 - Tithe

The tithe reminds us of our partnership with God. The tithe, which is 10% of our increase, is
used solely for the support of the gospel ministry of our world church. We must underscore that
tithe is to be deposited in the God’s storehouse which is the local conference/field office, with the
local church being the door to the storehouse. We must not invent our own storehouses. Malachi
3:10 puts this very clearly. As soon as we receive income, we should place God’s tithe together
with our gifts and offerings, into a tithe and offering envelope.

For church members who work and earn salary, tithe should be calculated from the gross income
before deduction of tax, etc. Tithe is also computed on the income from farm produce, herds,
hourly wages, tips, benefits, profits from businesses, etc

Planned Giving – Step 2 – Combined Offering

The combined Offering plan is a comprehensive plan designed to organize and simplify our
financial giving to support God’s cause globally.

The Combined Offering is divided into two equal quantities whereby 50% remains in the local
church and 50% is remitted to the Conference. Of the 50% taken to the Conference, the Local
Conference retains 20%, the Union 10% and the General Conference 20% for World Mission.
We can notice in this plan that the local church receives the highest percentage.

Planned Giving – Step 3 – Camp meeting Offerings

The third step in Planned Giving is Camp Meeting Offerings. It is recommended that each
member dedicates his/her income on this annual event to support the non-tithe needs of the
World Church.

In this plan, the Bible gives a blank cheque for us to write our blessings; “Every man shall give
as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which He has given thee” Deut.
16:17.

All camp meeting offerings are submitted to the Conference whereby 75% is retained by the
Conference to be used for evangelism and Conference development, and 25% is sent to the
Union.

Planned Giving – Step 4 – Local Church Development/Building

The fourth step in Planned Giving is Church Development/Building. It is recommended that each
church member dedicates part of his/her income to support the work of church building and any
development as may be proposed by the local church. There is an assumption on the part of
many of our members that this offering is not possible to give through envelope as marked. That
erroneous assumption should be corrected. We must remember that our obligation is to finance
our local church building. We must begin to desist from conducting our fundraisings in the same
manner as the secular world does it. Once the target has been given, it is our duty as church
members to commit ourselves to this planned giving.

Planned Giving – Step 5 – Special Offerings/ Special Projects.

The fifth Step, Special Offerings/Special Projects, is an important part of Planned Giving within
the Seventh – day Adventist Church. It is recommended that every one should support these
selected designated projects beyond the regular giving as directed by the Church. These special
offerings are sent to the Conference as trust funds. These may include New Year thanks
offerings, Special Weeks of prayer, ADRA, Adventist World Radio, etc. We must always be open
to the Holy Spirit as we seek to provide a balanced support for regular church needs and special
projects.

 Planned giving is a means of expressing the covenant relationship we have with Jesus
Christ as our Lord and Master.
 Planed Giving provides members with the opportunity to allow the Bible directives of
systematically putting God first, and giving to Him as soon as the blessings are received.
 Planned Giving makes it possible to project the anticipated income for local church
needs.
 Planned Giving makes provisions for members to give for the special projects
 Planned giving reduces the number of special promotions and multiple calls for money.
 Planned Giving ensures fair and proportionate distribution of funds.
 “Whenever God’s people, in any period, have cheerfully and willingly carried out His
plan in systematic benevolence, and in gifts and offerings, they have realized the
standing promise that prosperity should attend all their labors just in proportion as
they have obeyed His requirements.” (3T 395).

We thank God for His divine plan of planned giving. We thank Him for this simple plan that
unites the Seventh – day Adventist church around the world. We thank Him for these biblically
based principles.

*****************************************************

THURSDAY

THE BLESSING OF FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP - PART 1

Key Text: “She went away an did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for
Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of
oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah”. 1 King 17:15-16)

Introduction

The faith of George Muller really challenges me! He was a German missionary who felt called
by God to open an orphanage for the needy children of Bristol in England. When God called him
to undertake th challenging task, he had no money, no food to feed the hungry orphans and
definitely no land on which to construct the orphanage. George Muller had only one precious
commodity – faith in God’s willingness to answer prayer and God’s ability to supply for the
needs of His children. He was guided and energized by one Biblical promise. “ASK AND YOU
WILL RECEIVE”.

Standing on that promise of the immutable God, who cannot lie, George Muller prayed and
believed God for big things and God answered his prayers. He prayed for land and God provided
land. He prayed for money for the construction of the orphanage and God provided. Muller soon
had under his care over one thousand orphans.

It was a mammoth task to provide food, clothes and the necessities of living for them. What
made the task even harder was Muller’s policy of never telling people of his needs, but believing
that if he talked to the heavenly Father in prayer, God would impress upon somebody to supply
that specific need. What a challenging faith! The interesting thing is that God always came
through for Muller.

He narrates an episode in his prayer journal about when there was no breakfast. He asked the
orphans to take their places at the dining table and proceeded to confidently thank God for
providing them with a healthy breakfast. When the prayer came to the end, a loud knock at the
door announced the arrival of an apologetic baker who delivered a cart – load of the needed fresh
bread! What a faith! “Oh Lord; give us such a faith.’

According to Muller, the ministry of looking after the orphans was secondary. He confesses that
the primary reason for getting involved in the noble ministry was to prove to the modern
unbelieving generation that God can supply our day to day needs in answer to prayer if we
believe it and are careful to obey His express will.

When Jesus looked into the future times of our today’s generation, he wondered aloud: “When
the Son of Man Comes, will he find faith on earth?” Even though unbelief was rife in the time
of Jesus, Jesus predicted that there world be a real crisis of lack of faith in the days of the end.
Oh how accurate Jesus was in His prediction!

Our Crisis of Faith

It is sad that most of us profess deep faith in the Lord and sing with vigor some wonderful hymns
about our unshrinking faith, but when it comes to putting our lives on the line we find that our
faith is mere lip service. How emotionally we sing songs like:
“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to take him at his word. Just to
Rest upon his promise, just to know
Thus says the Lord
Jesus, Jesus how I trust
Him, How I’ve proved
Him o’er and o’er. Jesus,
Jesus precious Jesus, O
For grace to trust Him more.
I’m so glad I leaned to trust him
Precious Jesus Savior friend; and
I know that thou art with me, wilt
Be with me to the end.”

How moving those words are when sang by the whole congregation! How sad that those words
are hollow, holding no meaning for most of us! Have we reached a place in our lives, where we
take Jesus at His word and are willing to put our lives on the line in our discipleship to Him? Are
we willing, as we sing; Trust and Obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to
trust and obey?

Our main problem stems from the fact that we do not really believe that the Lord can supply our
needs as He has promised. Like Abraham in the saga over Hagar and Ishmael, we do not really
believe God can be trusted to keep His promises to us. Even though God has repeatedly said He
will supply our needs, the greatest sin of being independent and trying to be self-sufficient
plagues us. We are not willing to let Yahweh be in charge of our lives. We feel we must be in
control of our lives to ensure that everything is okay!

The devil deludes as into thinking that if we give generously to God, we will then have nothing
to the human arithmetic of subtraction forgetting that our God specializes in multiplication! We
think that if we give, we will grow poor and that our meager resources will not cater for all our
needs.
We just cannot bring ourselves to trust that God will actually supply our needs when we put him
first. Oh how many blessings we forfeit as we cling to the pittance we have! We seem to forget
that God has promised to bless a cheerful giver. How we need to pray that God will save us from
our feeble useless attempts to preserve self , for Jesus declared: “Whoever finds his life will lose
it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

God is calling us to return to Him in childlike trust. He is challenging us to take Him at His word
and believe that He is able to do all that He has promised in a fashion that is beyond our wildest
imagination, because He is able “To do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to His power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:21)

In a bid to challenge us to a life of faithfulness, God through inspiration recorded stories of

faithful saints and the resultant blessings of faithfulness. The story of the widow of Zarephath is
really a challenging one. It is a story faithful stewardship. The Master in His powerful sermon
cited her exemplary faithfulness, which is worthy of emulation! “I assure you that there were
many widows in Israel….Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but a widow in Zarephath in
the region of Sidon.” (Luke 4:25-26)

The fact that this peculiar woman was not even an Israelite and thus ignorant about all the
oracles of God makes her faithfulness stand tall in the faith honor roll. It is for that reason that
Jesus singled her out as an object lesson of faithfulness.

The Blessing of Faithful Stewardship

The food shortage in her home had reached a crisis level. She had been hoping it would rain but
it looked like this would not happen soon. She kept looking at the sky for hints of rain but is was
futile. She had tried to reduce the daily food intake for her son and herself, but this did not help.
Her heart was becoming heavy laden as she saw her son developing the first telltale signs of
starvation. She could see no light at the end of the dark tunnel. Starvation leading to a slow
agonizing death was the threat that was looming large over the horizon of the existence.

One morning, what she dreaded most came to pass. Looking at the food relations, she found just
enough flour and oil to make one meal. She kept hoping against hope that somehow a miracle
could happen and change her hopeless situations but she had learned that the gods of Sidon were
unpredictable and unreliable. So on this particular morning, with a heavy heart she went outside
the gate of Zarephath to collect some sticks-not firewood, to cook the last meal for herself and
her son.

As she was lost in thought while gathering the sticks, a travel weary man ,wearing a garment of
hair and a leather belt around his waist called out to her requesting her for some water to drink.
Providing water to a thirsty stranger was no problem. Proving water did not threaten her
livelihood. As she was going to get water for Prophet Elijah, his next quest stopped her dead on
her tract. “And bring me, please, a piece of bread”. He added.

It is important to note that Elijah had come here after getting express direction from the Lord.
After Elijah had delivered his bombshell on Ahab, the Lord had directed him to a hideout in the
Kerith Ravine. God had promised him: “You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the
ravens to feed you there,” (1 Kings 17:4). If Elijah were like us, he would have started
questioning the logistics of how ravens would feed him and from where they would get the food.
However, Elijah knew that the God has the ability to do exactly what He has promised. The
Bible records, “So he did what the Lord told him.” (1 Kings 17:5). Elijah possessed childlike
faith as far as God’s ability to provide was concerned True to God’s promise, The ravens
brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank
from the brook.” ( 1 Kings 17:6) We must remember that Elijah had no tangible evidence that
the ravens would feed him, but he decided to take God at His word and rest upon His promise.
Oh that the Lord will give us such childlike confidence in His ability to provide!

When the brook dried up, God spoke again to Elijah directing him to where his needs would be
supplied “ Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in
that place to supply you with food. So he went to Zarephath.” ( 1 King 17:9,10), . Even though
Zarephath was outside the boarder of Israel, we see Elijah making the long journey by faith
without questioning God. What a faith! It is important to underscore that God came through for
Elijah because of his willingness to obey It is a fact that when we choose to be faithful to God,
which in essence is what stewardship is all about, our God will always bless us without fail

This brings us back to Zarephath where Elijah has asked for the impossible and so the widow
seeks to explain her plight. We must note that God did not send Elijah to those with means, but a
poor widow. This should be a rebuke to us who excuse our refusal to give to the cause of God on
the pretext that we are in dire economic hardships. God expects faithfulness from us regardless
of our financial situation. Even if we have two mites like the poor widow depicted in the gospels,
we must give to the cause of God.

”As surely as the Lord your God lives….I don’t have any bread only a handful of flour in a
jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for
myself and my son, that we may eat it – and die,”

((1 King 17:12). By using the terminology, “as surely as the Lord your God lives”, she is taking
an oath to tell the truth of her heart. What she expresses is the reality of her situation.

The Bible records the following, “Elijah said to her, “Don’t’ be afraid. Go home and do as you
have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me,
and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the
day the Lord gives rain on the land.: (1 Kings 1 7:13,14).This is God’s principle of
multiplication.

Elijah’s diagnosis of the widow is true of us. One of the reasons many of us do not give our tithes
and offerings is because we are paralyzed by fear. We still embrace the arithmetic of subtraction.
We are convinced that if we give tithes and offerings, we will surly come to financial ruin
because there is hardly enough for us and our children to survive on. As we analyze our expenses
and compare with our little income, we are paralyzed with fear. We wonder how we will ever
make the ends meet. We need to ask God to graciously assist us shun the earthy, temporal
arithmetic of subtraction and embrace the heavenly eternal arithmetic of multiplication.

Embracing the Arithmetic of Multiplication

As a result of deciding to put God first, by preparing the first cake for Elijah, the widow
experienced three blessings.

 The first blessing she experienced was the daily provision of food for herself and her
family. The Bible puts is beautifully, “so there was food everyday for Elijah and for the
woman and for her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did
not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.” (1 King 17:15,16).
Because of seeking to put God first, God multiplied her limited resources and she
enjoyed the abundant provision of God. Her life was sustained when she chose to lose her
life for God’s sake. By providing Elijah with food, she was willing to die, but be faithful
 to God. She was putting her life on the line. He always rewards such a faith because we
are very precious in His sight.
 The second blessing she experienced was the miraculous resurrection of her son. Even
though we believe in the resurrection, very few people were resurrected from the dead
during the times of Jesus Christ. However, God performed a rare miracle just for her, to
reward her faithfulness. What a testimony of how far God will go to reward a faithful
steward
 The greatest of all the blessing is her knowledge of the true God of Israel. Knowing God
experientially is the greatest blessing that can be ever accorded to a human being.
It is crucial because such knowledge has eternal ramifications. It was Jesus, who said,
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ
whom you have sent”. (John 17:3). It is true that after Elijah moves from Zarephath,
nothing else is heard about the widow, but from the words of Jesus referring to her and
from her words to Elijah: “Now I know that you are a man of God and that he word of
the Lord from your mouth is the truth”, We are sure we will see her in the New
Jerusalem.

In her own way, she heeded by faith the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:33: “But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be given to you
as well.”By shunning her narrow arithmetic of subtraction, she embraced the all-
encompassing heavenly arithmetic, the arithmetic of multiplication.

God is also challenging us today as He challenged the widow of Zarephath.;

“Bring the whole tithe into the store house, that there may be food in my house. Test
me in this…..and see if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
blessing that you will not have room enough room for it.” (Malachi 3:10)

Beloved God is offering us a way to wholeness. It is in giving that we receive. It is in

giving on ourselves that we find ourselves. It is in the losing of our lives that we find
them. God’s way, once embraced leads to life.

God is promising to pour an avalanche of blessing upon us if we choose to make Him

first.

***************************************

FRIDAY

THE BLESSING OF FAITHFUL STERWARDSHIP (PART 2)

Key Text: “Do not store for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and
where thieves break in d steal, but store for yourselves treasurers in heaven, where moth and
rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal”.Mattew 6:19.
Henry P. Crowell contracted tuberculosis as a boy and was unable to go to school. He spent
seven years working hard outdoors as a way to recover his health. Then he bought a small run-
down mill at Ravana, Ohio. It was called the Quaker mill. Within ten years Crowell had made
Quaker Oats a household name to millions.

William, a boy of 16, with all his possession tied a small bundle, walked into New York City
seeking his fortune. He knew the soap and candle making trade and found regular employment.
William saved money, and finally managed to become a partner and then owner of the soap
making plant where he worked. William Colgate turned this small investment into a Financial
Empire.

Wallace Johnson borrowed 250 dollars in 1939 and invested in a Hotel. Soon Johnson started his
own hotel, the Holiday Inn, and went on to become a Multimillionaire, “the innkeeper of the
American”.

A young man named Welch decided to invest in his father’s side business, making unfermented
wine for communion special Concord grape. The Youth took it over, business mushroomed in a
great industry, and the Welch family made their name synonymous with quality grape juice.

These investments did turn into something great. Dreams became reality. The question is, what
makes the difference? We’ve seen investments that have turned into fortunes, and investments
that have disappeared in their air.
These are rather spectacular examples. But there are countless more of such examples in our
midst today, some flourishing while others are disappointments. What makes the difference
between financial disaster and those investments of a lifetime?.

Of course we can certainly point to common sense and basic business ability as key factors.
Some people just manage money better than others. But there is much more than that assertion
.
THE SECRET OF SUCCESS
Some time before Henry Crowell bought the Quaker Mill: he heard a sermon by Dwight Moody
that moved him deeply. Crowell committed his life to Christ and prayed: “I can’t be a preacher,
but I can be a good businessman. God, if you will let me make money, I will use it in your
services.”
And so from the very beginning in his business venture, Crowell dedicated ten percent of his
profits to God’s work. The Lord blessed this man’s enterprise and Crowell’s giving also
multiplied. For over 40 years, Quaker Oats founder gave 60 to 70 percent of his income to
Christian causes.

When William Colgate was headed for New York City to seek his fortune, he met a godly canal-
boat captain who defined success in these terms: “Be a good man, give your heart to Christ, pay
the Lord all that belongs to Him, make an honest soap….”

Colgate remembered that advice. He gave to God one tenth of the first dollar earned and ever
afterward he considered ten cents of every dollar as sacred to the Lord. As the Colgate business
increased, so did the man’s generosity. Eventually he would regularly give over half of his
income to religious work.

The founder of Holiday Inns, Wallace Johnson, was also a man who took giving to God
seriously. He became known nationwide for his Christian activities and his stewardship as a
Baptist layman. Johnson once said, “I am totally dependent on God for help in everything I do.
Otherwise, I honestly believe it would start to fall apart in months.”

The young man in the Welch family who began working with concord grapes, started out toward
a very different vocation. He was preparing to go as a missionary to Africa.. But during the final
preparations he discovered that his wife would not endure the climate, because of health
problems. Returning home, he determined to work hard, invest wisely and used the money he
made to help advance the kingdom of God. Eventually Mr. Welch would give hundreds of
thousands of dollars to the work of missions.

When we look at each of these success stories we find almost unexpected common denominator:
giving, devoting a percentage of income to God’s work. The men behind Quaker Oats, Colgate,
Holiday Inn, Welch…..did not reach the top by hoarding or convincing or driving hard bargains.
They reached the top by… generosity of all things.

To be specific, these men are tied together by something called tithing. Before they made their
investments of a lifetime, they made a very special investment towards God. There are other
famous names we could add to these: others who made the practice of paying a faithful tithe as
part of their business life like Rockefeller, etc.

THE BLESSING OF FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP

Let’s take a close look at this idea of the tithe, which literally means, a tenth. We first discover it
in the Old Testament, back in Genesis chapter 14 describes an interesting encounter between
Abraham, the father of the Hebrew people and a king named Melchizedek, who was called a
“priest of God Most High” Abram had just recovered a great deal of goods from his enemies.
That priest gave Abram a special blessing and as Genesis 14:20 states: “Then Abram gave him a
tenth of everything”|
Here we see the patriarch Abram gratefully consecrating a tenth of what he had gained; a tithe to
God through this priest.

Abrams’ son Jacob decided to continue this tradition, at a critical time in his life. He had just met
God of his father in a very powerful way( Genesis 28:22) “Of all that you have given me I will
give you a tenth.”
Later this practice of tithing became a sign of commitment for all those who called on the God of
heaven. If God was truly to be Lord in your life, then the best way of showing that and
experiencing that, was to dedicate to Him the fist tenth of all you received. The book of
Deuteronomy gives this reminder, chapter 14:22: “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your
fields produce each year”.
In the agriculture world of the Hebrews, the tithe meant giving first fruits from each harvest, A
tenth of everything was “holy to the lord” ,it was to be set - aside for him. They did not consider
this an offering, but something that already belonged to God.

The last book in the Old Testament suggests that tithing should continue as a means of affirming
God’s Lordship over us… and also receiving his blessings. Malachi, in fact, quotes God as
making a promise when we tithe, Malachi 3:10: “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 if heaven and our out so much blessing that you will not have
room enough for it.”

Here God urges his people to bring the whole tithe, an honest tenth, into the temple, so that He
can bless them.

God wants to bless all of us, in every way, but, He cannot bless selfishness: Our Lord above all
wants us to experience the joy of generosity. And so He has promised to reward generosity.

By setting aside a tenth of all our profits, we affirm God’s Lordship in our lives. He is first in
everything.

The businessmen mentioned earlier did not wait to become rich first in order to return tithe. They
grew in generosity step by step

And generosity begins with small things. Generosity, in fact, often begins in poverty.
Tithing helps us to escape from one of our greatest spiritual problems today; the tyranny of
materialism. By first giving to God, we declare that money and things are not going to rule over
our lives. Our values are not going to be narrowed down to perishable riches of this world.

*********************************

SABBATH

WE HAVE COME THIS FAR,BUT…………..

Key Text: “Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant which I commanded them to
keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they
have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against
their enemies; they turn their back and run because they have been made liable to
destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is
devoted to destruction”. ((Joshua 7:11:-12)

Introduction
Jericho had fallen and was now in the hands of the Israelites. To the Israelites, the fall of Jericho
was clearly a miracle from the Lord. As a result of the fall of Jericho the Bible records in Joshua
6:17: “so the Lord was with Joshua ad his fame spread throughout the land”. I wish that
would be the happy ending of this biblical story but unfortunately it is not.

The next city on Joshua’s hit list was Ai. Joshua sent spies who returned back confidently saying:
“Not all the people have to go up against Ai Send two or three thousand men to take it and do
not weary all the people, for only a few men are there”. (Joshua 7:3). The problem began right
here. When Joshua was going up against Jericho he has consulted the Lord, but now in his
reckoning Ai was small and easy to defeat hence no need to waste time consulting the Lord.

How much like Joshua we are: when the Lord gives us victory, we forget we need Him all the
way and then start leaning on our own power and strength. I wish Joshua had consulted the Lord
at that juncture because the Lord would have revealed something to him that would have saved
him and the Israelites the excruciating disappointment and embarrassment they went through.

As a result of leaning on his own wisdom the Bible tells us” “So about three thousand men
went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai who killed about thirty six of them. They
chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on
the slopes. At this hearts of the people melted and became like water” (Joshua 7:4-5). What a
sad commentary of the state of affairs! Israel, the nation that had made the hearts of kings melt
like water was now having the same experience in the hands of a small city-literary a non-entity.

Joshua in confusion goes to complain bitterly to the Lord. After tearing his clothes humbling
himself by falling face down before the Lord from morning till evening in the company of the
elders of Israel who even went further and sprinkled dust on their heads, the Lord revealed the
real reason for the humiliating defeat in the hands on a small city like Ai. The message was
simple - you have taken those things that are devoted to me and have mixed them with your
own possessions. Until that mess in sorted out, I will withdraw my presence from you. All
your enemies, regardless of the number will always defeat you, as long as that issue is not
addressed.

In our “modern” minds, we sometimes wonder how such a tiny issue such as Achan asking a
Babylonian robe, some shekels of silver and gold could bring such a serious judgment from God.
We ask, why should God make the whole of Israel pay for the unfaithfulness of one steward.
Beloved, we must tread carefully here in the knowledge that God operates on a different sphere
than us and His ways are not our ways. All we must remember is that God is very particular
about our actions as stewards. God is very particular about what He has commanded and blessed
is the steward who carries out the instructions to the letter.

Several episodes in the Bible can attest to this very crucial fact, that God is very concerned even
with very minute things;
 God deprived Moses his most cherished dream of entering the Promised Land because rather
than talking to the rock, he struck the rock out of anger.

For offering unauthorized fire before the Lord, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron were struck
dead on the spot by the fire from the presence of God.

For supporting the Ark of the Covenant to prevent it from falling when the oxen carrying it
stumbled, a noble and commendable action by all standard, but forbidden by the law, Uzzah was
struck dead.

Beloved, we must always keep in mind that our God is very particular about what He has
expressly commanded. The greatest blessing is to follow meticulously what the Lord has
commanded. It is when we obey wholeheartedly and discharge our stewardship obligations
faithfully, that we discover the joy of the Lord. That joy overtakes us and fills our hearts with
divine awe.

Today we are defeated

Many of us are not enjoying the victory that the Lord has prepared for us in Christ Jesus. The
truth is that most of us are so beaten up by the devil that we have reached a point of despair. We
just go through the motions and rounds of religious services, but makes no breakthroughs. Like
Peter, we have been fishing all night for the fish of Christian victory, but victory is but a mirage.
If we are honest with ourselves and ask the Lord to search our hearts, we may discover that the
reason for the vicious circles of defeat stems from our unfaithfulness in our stewardship
obligations. Our unfaithfulness weakens our mind and gives the devil a foothold in our hearts to
frustrate all our efforts.

Corporately, when we look at the church, we see her struggling and making little headway. The
good plans of the church are swayed to and from by the waves of the sea of life. We discover that
rather than being the light on the hill, we are obscure, unknown with little or no impact.

Beloved, we should not be surprised at our plight because the church is made up of many
members who are not faithful. The simple reason we are not faithful is because we still love the
world and have been baptized into its materialistic culture. We cannot make any headway as long
as we serve Mammon rather than serving God. Materialism is a wedge the devil has used to
weaken the church. As long as we hoard and hide that which is holy and devoted to the Lord like
Achan, this old ship of Zion will make no headway. The same words God spoke to Joshua will
also find fulfillment in the life of the church: “..cannot stand against their enemies; they turn
their backs and ruin because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you
anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction”. Verse 12

Touching God’s devoted things

The Israelites were routed and humiliated because they had refused to heed the warning of
Joshua; “But keep away from the devoted things so that you will not bring about any of them.
Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All
the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go to his
treasury” (Joshua 6:19)

We have also been routed and humiliated because we have taken that which is holy and used it
for common use. Consider the following;

1. One of the things the Lord has called holy and asked us to keep holy is the Sabbath day.
Unfortunately, Sabbath being our identifying mark as a church, many of us do not keep
the Sabbath holy. To many of us the Sabbath day has become just a common day. We see
no distinction between it and any other day. Regardless of the many instances God has
spoken-commanding us, encouraging us, appealing to us to keep the Sabbath holy, His
word has unfortunately fallen on deaf ears. We somehow comfort ourselves that we now
live in the dispensation of grace. We need to remember that God does not change. The
keeping of the Sabbath holy is still a serious issue as far as it was in the times of Joshua.

The desecrating of the Sabbath is a serious issue. Nehemiah warned the kingdom of Judah
about breaking the Sabbath. He “rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is
this wicked thing that you are doing – desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your
forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and
upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wraths against Israel by desecrating the
Sabbath”. ((Nehemiah 13:17-18).

God made the same point of keeping the Sabbath holy during prophet Isaiah’s days;
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my
holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you
honor it by not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in
the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the
inheritance of your father Jacob” Isaiah 58:13-14)

There are many Achans in our midst today. A church whose members are not ready to
discern the temporal and the eternal things cannot impact the world.

2. The other area we have failed miserably in our stewardship is the stewardship of the
body. In spite of all admonitions in the Bible, the Sprit of prophecy and from medical
science, we are still desecrating our bodies though sexual immorality. Powerful
statements like: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside
his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that
your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from
God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with
your body”. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Surely, the following statement ought to stop us
dead on our tracks and make the sexual desire dissipate: “But the cowardly, the
unbelieving, the vile the sexually immoral.. their place in the lake of burning sulfur.
This is the second death:,….. “ Outside are dogs, the sexually immoral, the
murderers…” (Revelation 21:8; 22:15)
The effect of sexual immorality on the church is evident. The fact that the people within and
without the church are suffering equally from the AIDS scourge simply indicates that the church
cannot be seen as a solution to the problem. Our failure to be faithful stewards in this regard is an
indication that the enemy has infiltrated our ranks. We will not withstand our wily foe until we
decide to go back to the Bible and take the stewardship of the body seriously remembering that
even our bodies belong to the Lord for they were purchased with the precious blood of His Son.

The enemy will be routed and humiliated when every Adventist married man and woman decide
they will reserve themselves only for each other. The enemy will be defeated in the lives of our
youth when our young people decide, they will not get sexually involved until they get married.

3. The third area where we have failed in our stewardship obligation is in the returning of
tithes and offerings. When only less than 20% of members in our Church are faithful in
returning a faithful tithe and offering, and the rest insist on robbing God, is that not in
itself an indication that the devil has infiltrated the church? Is it a wonder that there is
always a shortage of finance in this treasury of the Lord to do His work? Beloved, isn’t
this clear indication that we have been routed from possessing the kingdom and subduing
the kingdom of darkness. If only we would remember that there are only two kingdoms
and any money used goes to build one kingdom or the other! If the money is not used to
expand the kingdom of God, it will automatically enlarge the kingdom of darkness.

Beloved, where are you investing your treasure? Which kingdom are you strengthening? Please
heed the word of Jesus now, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. (Matthew 6:19-21).

In the case of Joshua, God made it clear what was to be done to ensure victory once more and
Joshua followed the instructions meticulously. The Bible records: “Then Joshua, together with
all Israel, took Achan the son of Zerah , and the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his cattle,
donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had to the valley of Achor. Joshua said, ‘Why have
you brought this trouble on us? The lord will bring trouble on you today’. Then all Israel
stoned him, and after they stoned the rest, they burned them…. Then the Lord turned from his
fierce anger”. (Joshua 7:24-26).

We may not stone those who bring disaster upon the church through their unfaithfulness in
stewardship however from the story, there is something that is very clear, unless we do away
with our unfaithfulness, the fierce anger of the Lord will be upon us. In order to experience the
presence of the Lord and the victory that Gods’ presence brings, we must act immediately!

We must bury all the Achans in our lives. We must acknowledge our unfaithfulness and ask
the Lord to forgive us from all our failures, greed and covetousness like Achan. We must
confess before the Lord.1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”.
After Joshua and the entire house of Israel followed God’s instructions; Ai could not
withstand them anymore. The devil had been defeated and the presence of God was with them.
The Bible records in Joshua 8:1, “Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged. Take the whole army with you and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into
your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land”. What a powerful promise! We
must underscore that the Lord cannot let faithful steward suffer humiliating defeat in the hands
of the enemy. The angel of the Lord encamps all around them that fear the Lord!

Beloved, the moment we make a decision to be Faithful and bury all our Achans and burning
them at the altar of sacrifice, the devil will be completely routed from our lives. When we decide
to be faithful stewards even unto death, the devil will then have no hold on us. We will be able to
serve God with a clear conscience. What a joy and satisfaction we will experience when we
know with that quiet assurance that there is no barrier whatsoever between the Lord and us. With
such a commitment to faithful stewardship, the Lord will be able to entrust us with weightier
stewardship responsibilities. There will be no limit to what the Lord will accomplish in us and
through us.

Make an altar call for those who want to stone, burn and bury Achans in their lives!

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