Are you where you need to be? - Pastor Mark McCarty #youversion notes

Are you where you need to be with God?

God asks in Malachi 1:6 "Wheres the reverence for me?"

Do you bring your best attitude when you come before The Lord? What about your offerings? This is what God has to say about the subject.

“Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations. (Malachi 1:14 NIV)

How do you treat your spouse?

“The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord , the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful. (Malachi 2:16 NIV)

God says to us "Return to me." Even though we have not been faithful God wants us to be close to Him. So how are we to return to The Lord?

"...Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. (Malachi 3:7, 8 NIV)

Jesus said “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin 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 NIV)

God wants us to be heavenly minded not worldly minded. If God doesn't have your treasures, He doesn't have your heart. The reason God wants us to tithe is not because He needs our money. What a laughable notion. God needing our help. LOL! God wants your heart, not your money. That's why He wants you to tithe.

In Leviticus, God says the tithe is His and it is holy.

“ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord ; it is holy to the Lord . (Leviticus 27:30 NIV)

Jesus in the New Testament says we ought to do even more after we tithe.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. (Matthew 23:23 NIV)

God says to put Him to the test in following his commands. He will prove it to us with His blessing.

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

He doesn't stop there. God goes even further for our sake. He says he will protect us.

I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:11 NIV)

It all starts with our return to God. Why wait another second? Act on God's command and give The Lord what is due Him. He is faithful to keep His Word. Try it and find out for yourself. Then we will see what The Lord has promised come to pass together.

“On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. (Malachi 3:17, 18 NIV)

Created 4 months ago