Paul writes to Timothy: “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim. 5:18, NKJV). He is quoting Moses in Deuteronomy 25:4 regarding the ox and Jesus from Luke 10:7 regarding the laborer. The phrase about the ox appears to have been a proverb, and it means it is fair … Continue reading –>
As we saw in Malachi 3:10, God promised a great blessing to those faithful in their tithe. Yet God’s blessing is not one-dimensional. To emphasize, for instance, the accumulation of material assets as a blessing, at the expense of everything else, is a very narrow view of what God’s blessing really is. Blessing in Malachi is … Continue reading –>
Jesus commands us to “preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15) and to “make disciples”, “teaching them to observe all things” (Matt. 28:19-20, NKJV). Thus, God wants us to be involved in the most important work on earth: bringing people to Jesus. Funding this mission from resources entrusted to us by God is the steward’s responsibility. Participation deepens personal commitment in … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 16:15; 1 Pet. 3:8-9; 1 Cor. 9:14; Rom. 3:19-24. Memory Text: “Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: God initiated all the covenants stated in the Bible and has taken the lead in drawing His people into these covenants (Heb. 8:10). The covenant promises reflect His grace, love, and desire to save us. A covenant with God includes many things: God, a recipient, conditions of the covenant, commitment to the conditions by both parties, … Continue reading –>
The long reign of Hezekiah is considered the high point for the tribe of Judah. Not since the reign of David and Solomon had Israel enjoyed God’s blessing so greatly. In 2 Chron. 29-31 is Hezekiah’s record of revival and reformation: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD” (2 Chron. 29:2, NIV). “The … Continue reading –>
We often talk about giving God tithe. But how do we give to God what He already owns? Read Leviticus 27:30. What two important points are found in this text in regard to tithe? “Tithe belongs to the Lord and therefore is holy. It does not become holy through a vow or a consecration act. It … Continue reading –>
As we saw yesterday, faith is a process, a dynamic experience that, ideally, grows and matures. And one way God is “finishing” our faith and bringing it to completeness is through the act of tithing. Rightly understood, tithe returned to God is not legalism; when we tithe we are not working or seeking to earn … Continue reading –>
Read Genesis 22:1-12. What does this story tell us about the reality of Abraham’s faith? The life of faith is not a one-time event. We don’t just express faith in a powerful way one time, and thus prove that we are, indeed, loyal and faithful Christians living by grace and covered by the blood of Christ. … Continue reading –>
One thing most of us have in common is that we do not like dishonesty. We especially do not like it when we see it manifested in others. It’s not easy, though, to see it in ourselves, and when we do, we tend to rationalize our actions, to justify them, to downplay their significance: Oh, it’s … Continue reading –>
