Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

First Fruits Pt.3

Let's go ahead, and pick up where we left off this morning. We want to continue with our desire to honor the Lord. You know, as we have shared, we are very aware that that's the heart of the majority of us. And, even though that's our heart though, through the teaching over the last months, if we stop and think about it--you know we have been teaching with one basic premise: Have we been vexed by the world and don't realize it? If so, we are coming into a day of warfare that, if the footmen have wearied us, how are we going to contend in this day with the horses and the chariots that are coming? The enemy is coming in like a flood in this last day. Are we prepared to stand, having done all, to stand? Do we think we are more holy than we really are? The word "holy" meaning, what? Separate, or set apart, for God. Or, does the world have a greater hold on us than we know? Not that we are lying, we just don't know it. Many of us are deceived, and if our light be darkness, the Scripture says, "how great is that darkness!"

One of the ways that the world is deceived today--of course, you know, we have talked about it--it is this false prosperity that we are having, and I think it's influenced the body of Christ. It's influenced and vexed many of our lives, and we don't know it. People are leveraging everything just to have more. The spirit of hedonism, of pleasure, and we've been trying to, then, draw the distinction in the study here between what has God blessed me with, and what have I got for myself, and said it's the blessings of the Lord? How did I get it? Did I get it God's way, or did I get it the world's way? What's the difference? Well, God's way is by faith. God's way is by giving and honoring God. And, He opens the windows of heaven and pours out blessings that you can't contain.

The world's way is trying to manipulate laws of economy, leveraging ourselves, you know, trying to live beyond our true worth. What I am talking about is not character worth, but our net worth. We look around and many people are driving certain vehicles, and wearing certain clothes, and going on vacations, and doing all kinds of things, and it's continually being charged. It's not being paid for. It's being borrowed. And, in our society today, and even in the church, we think that is all right. The borrower is servant to the lender. Servant means...servant. When we leverage so far, that we owe so much--beyond the body of Christ, beyond the kingdom of God--we are not our own any longer. We are not free to serve here; we are not free to give "this." It's not mine to give. The bank owns it. We have to ask ourselves, "Where am I, in relationship to all of this, in this hour? What has God given me, and what have I taken to myself?"

As we look at the spirit of the age, much of it has to do with covetousness. People would have the tendency toward avarice, the natural tendency. It is in every man. We want to step back in the study, then, and ask ourselves, what are we doing with what God has given us and blessed us with? And, what, really, are our treasures? Then, as it pertains to giving, how is it that we are to give?

We saw in Proverbs that we are to honor the Lord with our substance and the first fruits of all of our increase. We looked at that a little bit this morning. "Substance" meaning--of course, in the original language--talks about our wealth, our net worth, what we have, and our ability to exhibit strength, financially, economically. Now, in those days, wealth was primarily seen in lands that were held, livestock, how many camels you have, how many goats you have. I was talking about the goat that I had, this morning. That is what we called GTOs, they were "goats," back in our day. I was very prosperous, with my one goat, and enjoying that.

How much do we have? How wealthy are we? Well, today, people look at wealth based upon numbers. We don't have big holdings of minerals, gold, silver... We have little numbers that are written on paper, and that shows what our worth is. Many have fallen into the misconception again, that, unless it is liquid, I don't have it. "I don't have that," people just say. "Well, I don't have any money." Your wealth is your assets. Your worth is not what you can put your hands on that is liquid. So, when God is speaking to us and putting His hand on us to give, to worship Him, to move in missions, and to move in--we are going to see a little bit this evening of the Joash Chest, of building the house of God, and of all of the different things. It's not about what you have that's liquid; it's about what you have. Many times, there is the need to take what we have in assets, and make it liquid, if that's what's necessary. I was talking with someone this morning about that. "Well, there's not liquidity." But, it's not about liquidity. It's about what a man has, not what he doesn't have, in that principle.

Let's talk about liberality again, the attitude of the heart. We shared this morning, that those that were of a willing heart--let's spend a couple of minutes in review in Exodus 35. Of those that have a willing heart, receive the offering from them. Implying that, if they are grudgingly giving, I don't want it, God says. Keep it. If you are not going to give it willingly, just keep it. You are cursed anyway. We went on, then, into Exodus 36, and we saw one of the most outstanding references to giving in all the Bible. We had a little hint of this, one time here, in our fellowship. Do you all remember that we were giving and taking up offerings for the outreach in Africa? We finally had to make an announcement, "Don't send any more money. We have more than we can use right now. Just hold on, and we will tell you when we need some more." That is a miracle! Can you say, "Praise God" for that? That is a blessing, praise God! I have never heard of it in any other church, or any other ministry, that I have been involved with. I know that, you as a people, as a whole, are givers, and our heart is. But, I also believe that there's been a vexation that's come in, and we're not aware of it. We need to be aware of what is going on in our midst, in these last days, and a lack of appreciation.

You know, somebody mentioned to me just before I was coming in, we were--I was trying to get information, more information, so that I can be as accurate as I can, in representing some of the points that we are trying to make. Somebody made mention, "It's been a long time, and we have new people since we've mentioned Discipleship Training (DT), and how that works." Something that the deacons can share in the different meetings and whatever, but as soon as they said that, the thing that just leapt in my heart was--and I don't know if it's being done or not being done--young people that have graduated and don't have kids yet, how can you not be giving back to DT? How can you not be writing that check for twenty bucks, or whatever it is, just thanking God for what you had; amen? See, that is what we are talking about, the willing heart. It is the awareness of what God has done for us and the privilege.

We have people in here that have no children, old people that are giving toward discipleship training, just because they see it as part of the vision. You know what?--frankly, there are people among us that are eligible to be subsidized, as it pertains to this, and thank God that others, that are giving cheerfully and giving abundantly... It takes up that slack. When I say "eligible," I don't mean, you know, it's just the fact that you have three kids, and each one of them has brand new cars, and they all have their own private DTV receiver in their bedroom, and therefore it's hard to make a contribution. We are talking about people who don't eat out, don't have cable television, don't have all of these luxuries, and are still not able to make that contribution. We not only do take care of that, we gladly take care of that as a community, amen? But, not when it's being wasted on all this other stuff that are not necessities. How can we rob from God? How can we rob from our brothers and sisters in these areas? See, it is that spirit, and whether we like to believe it or not, we get vexed ourselves by this welfare mentality, by socialism, and we are not living in that realm. We are living in the kingdom of God, and God is not a socialist. The strong bear the infirmities of the weak. But, we don't provide abundance for the foolish and the slothful.

And so, in the process--I got off track a little bit--but in the process, in Chapter 36 of Exodus, verse 5, when God had spoken to Moses, He said, "Tell the people they're bringing too much." Now, we shared this morning, and I want to go on from here. What was happening at that time? What could cause human beings, you know, "skuzzballs" like all of us, selfish, prideful...? Do you know anybody like that? Do you know anybody like that, intimately? Do you look at him every morning in the mirror? We are that man! What causes a selfish, self-willed, prideful individual to consider others more than himself? To be moved in this way, that they were to give in abundance, without concern for anything of their own... It was because they believed they were going to encounter the presence of God. The excitement about that they had heard the voice of the Lord!

We talked about that this morning. Those of us who have encountered God and were changed; and old things pass away, and all things become new, and everything we have now, we've received of the Lord. How can we not, willingly and freely, give Him all things? Do you know what you ought to be hearing from God? Here is what you ought to be hearing from God--we ought to be giving so much, that God says, "No. Listen, I want you to keep some of that for yourself." When is the last time you heard that? "No, you are giving too much. I appreciate your love. I appreciate the transformation in your heart. But, you know, you need to keep some of that for yourself, for your family. I give you richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17). God wants us to prosper. He wants us to enjoy life. It is all about the hearts.

He is after our hearts. And, as their hearts were filled with thanksgiving and expectation of the tabernacle, they brought all of the necessities to build the house of God. They were bringing gold, and jewels, and linens, and sheep's skins, and badger's skins, and all of these things. And, finally, to the place where they said, "It's way more than we need. Keep it!" Where is our heart today? Can we say that is us? Can we say we have that kind of relationship with Father? Can we say that, "I just want to put all I can into His hands, for His glory, and to honor Him"?

David had that kind of a heart. Turn over to Chronicles for just a second, and let's pick up, and I want you to see something in 1 Chronicles 29 that is a blessing: the heart of David, a man after God's own heart, the sweet psalmist, the murderer, the adulterer. David, a man after like passions... He is a man; he is like you and me. What an awesome responsibility this guy has, as a king of God's covenant people, a man who has known the anointing of God. Obviously, a man who is more than just a monarch, a man here who is a spiritual leader of the nation, in conjunction with the priests... David, one of those kings that was taken up with the worship and set in order many of the different Levitical principles that we see, and how to bring about worship of God as it pertained to the singers, and counselors, and judges, and Levites... See, the Levites were the judges. The spiritual leaders made all the judicial decisions as they pertained to the people of God. They were the ones, that, of course, who took care of the Levites, and the priests, of all of the offerings, and the sacrifices that were given to the Lord. David's heart was so much for God. Do you remember, when the Ark was coming back, and he was dancing before the Ark, and he was despised by his wife, and he said, "You think this is bad? I will make a greater fool of myself in worship and giving myself to God. If this embarrasses you, hang on!" He did not care what people thought; he was all out there for God in everything that he had. You will notice that that translates over to people's giving of themselves, their talents, and our faithfulness.

And so, in Chapter 29, look what it is saying here--we are familiar with these passages--but they are preparing again the house of the Lord. Isn't it interesting that Moses, when he spoke to them--it was talking about the first dwelling place of God, the tabernacle; here we are building, the temple, a place that God's going to put His name on and dwell among them... They're taking up the offerings for this, and David says in verse 3, look at this, he says, "Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house" (1 Chronicles 29:3). Talking about all that was raised, you know, from his role as monarch and all the things that had been prepared. Out of my personal holdings, here is what I have put, and he tells us about--well, look over, look back for just a second--is it Chapter 22? Yes, verse 14, "Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto."

So, we see that, loosely by today's standards, it could even be more than this, but it's close to, like, four billion. You say, "Well, he was a king, and he was rich." Yes, that is true, but, by him making this kind of statement, this sounds like it cost him something. And, in fact, we read, you remember, when he was talking to Araunah [2 Samuel 24:16-24] about buying and obtaining the wine press, and the site that we now know that the temple is on, the heart attitude is, "I will offer nothing to my God that has not cost me." You know, that is an interesting thing about giving and honoring God. It is not about just throwing our abundance. There is something about, when we are moved, like these people were at the time of the tabernacle, or David is here with the temple... There is something about just emptying ourselves out, to where we come to the place of being dependent again on God, to where we feel this thing and you just want to do that.

I know, like when the guys come back from Africa and stuff... As we are out, and this last time we were out a lot, and as we are out--we don't take--the money doesn't come out of the missions budget when these guys are home. I just delight in paying for everything for them, and buying their new clothes, and buying their shoes for them to go back. I just--that is a blessing, amen? You just have to give. It is an exciting thing, and that is where David is here. The way we are set up, I just get some cash on a weekly basis, a few hundred bucks that come to me. So, what I'll do is, I'll just tell Dan, "Don't give me anything for awhile. I'll let you know." Then, pretty soon, my wallet keeps getting thinner and thinner in those different areas. I remember, one time, when I had bought a lot of stuff for the guys, and I'd purposed that this is something that was moving in a different area--we're just so blessed. It was just an interesting time because I hadn't--it had been a long time since I hadn't had anything in my wallet, and that was a blessing, just to be able to give it and realize what it costs. It had been a while, and I just thank the Lord for that.

And so, the spirit that we are talking about here is... When is the last time we have done that? Is that where we are? There are a lot of things before us here, as it pertains to Africa, the prospective building that we're going to look at, all of these things that are in the future. I wonder if, because it has been so long since we had a major project, that some of us have spent so much and got ourselves into a place where we could not give right now if we had to. Do you have thousands of dollars now to give to the Joash Chest, if we decided to pull the trigger now on the project that we have talked about? Because it is going to take--we are going to have to come up with about six hundred thousand dollars minimum, in addition to what we have already put aside, to get that project going. Are you free? There is a big purchase waiting to be made for land in Africa. Some of us have put some big cash over there already. You know, I have shared with you that that's where the Ferrari money went. The Lord told me to sell the Ferrari and give the money, and so it is sitting in an account getting ready to be spent on land. But, you know what? The land keeps going up. We haven't found the piece yet, and when we get ready to buy it, we're going to need to come up with, probably, another forty, fifty thousand dollars. Do you have it? Or, is my credit card payment so high right now, or my mortgage payment so high, you know, because we got blessed with this new house... "No, I don't have it to give any more. I didn't think we were going to do any more projects." I am being facetious. Are you free, when God speaks, to be able to honor Him? That is all we are talking about: our gratitude and our thanksgiving.

David says here, "I gave of my own personal substance." You know, he seems to be patting himself on the back here, doesn't he? That is not what David is doing. He is trying to show you again, heart motive, personal involvement, the fact that it is to cost us something as we are giving and honoring God.

Look over at 2 Chronicles for just a second, Chapter 24, verse 10. "And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end." In 2 Chronicles 24, here we are talking again concerning the people's desire to honor God and to build His house, the Joash Chest. We don't say a lot about it, but the maintenance, the upkeep... I think one of the best things that we have ever done around here is when we stopped spending money to hire people to come in to clean, years ago. It has been a long time ago, now hasn't it? Some of you have been scrubbing toilets around here for fifteen or twenty years. I can't remember when we hired it done. But, the reason we did not want to hire it out, back all those years ago, was not because we didn't have the money to do it; it was that we should give of ourselves to the house of God. We are the ones that come here and worship. We are the ones that should make sure--that is why, beloved, with your littler ones and some of the others, growing up, that take things for granted... That is why we don't kick holes in the walls; that's why we don't destroy this property. This is God's property, and when you see something lying around, pick it up. If it is a mess, and if you see something that's dirty, clean it, amen?

This is the house of God, and the fact of the matter is, if you don't do it then, guess what? We are going to have to ask you to give some money so we can get it done; but it is that spirit. What are we doing to make the house of God the best it can be? When is the last time, when you walked down the halls, you looked around for something you could do? Like, I just glanced over and saw all the footprints on that door. Look at all the toe prints on that door! Look at the trim, going into the storage room, where we took all of that stuff out of there. It is banged up. All of sudden, it rises in your heart, a zeal. "I'm going to do something about that, praise God!" Amen? This is the house of God. "Well, that's what Mike and Michael are for." They already have more than they can do; so what are we doing? See, it is all about a heart, and worship, and a gratitude for what God has given us here, and the place that He has chosen to put His name. So, it's more than just dollars and cents; it's that privilege, that we talked about this morning, of giving back. Do you remember we talked about the feasts and the thankfulness, on the Day of Atonement, for the blood that had been shed? We asked the question, when is the last time you wrote a check for a hundred bucks, just to say, "Thank you for saving me, Jesus"? Or ten bucks? Or ten thousand bucks? And so, we realize that it is not about all of the periphery issues. It's about worship. It's about honoring God with our substance. It's about giving as God has blessed us.

Look over at Ezra for just a moment, and they are building again, the temple and the ministry. Ezra 2:69 says, "They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work..." I want you to see that phrase, "They gave after their ability." You know, God made a great provision throughout the Scriptures, about offerings, and sacrifices, and for the wealthy. The wealthy would bring one type of a sacrifice. They might be required to bring a male--there were males that were offered, that were above the females that were offered. There were bullocks; there were sheep. There were all the different offerings. And, it would go everywhere, from a bullock clear down, based upon your ability; even if you didn't have a turtle dove, then you could bring some meal. Just a handful of grain, but everybody had to bring something and not the same thing. It shows the heart of God. He requires us, then, to give according to how He has prospered us, and Ezra says here that, as they were preparing the house of God, every one of them gave after their own ability--tremendous principles!

Acts tells us in Acts 11--turn over there for just a moment. We are looking here into the new covenant. Acts 11:29 and ministry that is going forth here... In these days, the prophets were there from Jerusalem. Agabus stands up and speaks by the spirit concerning the hard times that were coming, the dearth that was throughout the world, and the famine. "Then the disciples, every man, [say it with me] according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea." And, so we see then, that God doesn't expect us to give equal amount. It's equal sacrifice, and, tragically, it seems like sometimes the more we get, we just give enough. "Well, how much do you need?" You know a lot of churches operate--you know the wealthy among them..."Well, how much do you need?" What is your ability to give? "Well, I don't want to give ‘too much.' I mean, I don't want to give you more than you need."

We see, at times, God is asking us to give to the place where we have to trust Him again, or to give enough that actually you can feel it, that it is gone, or the one that gave the most, the widow and her mite, out of necessity. I just want to encourage us again to see in our abundance. Some of us, even though it is not our heart attitude, some of us are just throwing crumbs. We would give more if we were asked, and there was a reason for it. "Give me a reason. Give me a name of a pastor. Let's have a project, something that will move my heart, and then I'll give." What about just giving out of a heart of worship and honoring God? How about giving because you have it? These are some of the things that, as we look and are honoring God--that is why, continually, I am saying in this teaching, over and over, it is--God wants our hearts. How thankful are we?

Turn to 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8--and, of course, this is the definitive statement on this in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 8, as Paul is speaking here concerning giving and honoring the Lord. He talks about the Lord coming and condescending as He left His estate, His riches, verse 9, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance..." (2 Corinthians 8:9-11). You know, a lot of us talk about, "Well, I am willing, and if the need is there, and when it is time"--"the performance..."

"For if there be first a willing mind..." (2 Corinthians 8:12). That is what is acceptable to the Lord: the willing heart, the willing spirit. And, then what God looks for is, and then you do it. You perform it, and it is accepted by God based upon what you have, not what you do not have. "For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality" (2 Corinthians 8:13,14). Reciprocation: give, it is given unto us, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, that shall men give into your bosom (Luke 6:38).

You know, there is going to be an opportunity here, in the near future, for us to give a little more for the African outreach. We are adding churches over there; the costs are going up continually. You all have been faithful. We haven't pushed for more money because we are still trying to build faithfulness in the hearts of these men, and let them walk by faith, and trust God, but we are going to have an opportunity to give again, real soon. That is always exciting, isn't it? It's a good time to be able to give to those who have so much less than we have. Are you able? Have we gotten ourselves so bound up, that we cannot give? Do you have a determined amount that you are going to give? "Well, you know, I can give fifty dollars a month." What if God puts His hand on your heart? What if God touches your plasma TV? Your new refrigerator? When is the last time you did without something, to give to God? And, have we taught that to our children? You see, that is the chosen fast that Isaiah speaks about. You know, my concern is that, as a generation coming up, we have a generation that does not know anything about this.

I have shared with you--you all know the ministry "YWAM"? "Youth With A Mission," and Lauren Cunningham--and what an outreach it's been all these years. I've shared with you that the very first "YWAMer" was a guy who really had a crush on Janet, back years ago. His most prized possession was his car. I don't remember what it was at the time, but it was a pretty nice car for those days, for a young kid cruising, man, and God put His hand on this young man's heart--I met him years later in Paso Robles. We were there at an Assembly of God church in Paso Robles. Years later, I was able to met this guy and--what a good brother, still just going on for God, man! But, God spoke to him, and Lauren Cunningham was putting out the word, "We're looking for young people to come and give their lives for the gospel. Pay your way." He didn't have anything, except that car, and I thought it was neat, this young man, the first thing, his most prized possession... He sold his car, to get money, to go tell people about Jesus.

When is the last time we did without, to honor God? Not of our abundance, not the fact that we have a bunch sitting over here, and we can write a check, and praise God a need is met. Thank God for that prosperity. Thank God for your wisdom, and your diligence to save, and put it aside. I am not diminishing any of that, and the fact is, many, not all, because you can't equate gain with godliness, but those that have abundance, many have used money wisely. Because, if you love fine things, and wines, and oils, and ointments, you are going to be poor the wise man says. Read it in Proverbs. In other words, you can't just go out and get everything you want.

You do things--you know, the Scripture says you make sure first your fields. You know, we have the mentality today, people wanting to start businesses, and the first thing they want to do is, they want to get a business card, they want to get letterhead, they want to get a brand new car, and an office. Title, image; make sure your field, and then build your house. Build your business. Don't skim off the top of it so soon, to get your new house, and your new car, and want to be cool. Make the foundation of the business sure, and then start building your house and taking your personal gain later on, when the thing is sure. That is the wisdom of God--wisdom for those of you who are starting businesses. Start off paying yourself what you are worth. (Pastor makes a "zero" sign with his hand.) That is what all of us are worth, everything else is a blessing, praise God! Amen? I don't know about you, but I don't want to get paid what I'm worth. I have been overpaid every day of my life. God is good. Amen?

But, some have been wise and laid these things up, and so I'm not minimizing the fact that you have abundance. And, I'm not saying that those of us that have done that have to give it all away. You don't give it away until Jesus tells you to. Do not let anybody put a guilt trip on you, if God has blessed you. Do not feel guilty for being rich, those of you who are rich, here in our midst. You say, "Well, none of us here are really rich." It is all relative. Do not apologize for what God has given you. Boast in the goodness of God, and fulfill the standards. Be ready to communicate, and be ready to distribute, when God gives you opportunity, praise God!

God gave it to me so I could use it when He speaks to me. And, in the process, I have these things fully to enjoy, and you enjoy it. And then, when God says, "I have need of it," you give it away. He can give you more then, because He knows that any time He wants it, you will cough it up, and so these are the things that He is speaking in this particular principle. And, He says, "I want there to be an equality." So, we look and say, "Well, then. I have to realize, that part of not consuming everything on myself is the responsibility to have to give to those that have less." That is the spirit we are talking about here. If we are continually leveraging, we are just extending ourselves just as far as we can, for ourselves, more for me, more for me... What do we, then, have to give to those that have less? Because that is one of the requirements that God has put upon us that have been blessed with abundance, ready to distribute, amen? It's tragic to be so bound up that you can no longer give to those that are in need.

You know, we used to use the term "house poor." One of things, and we've talked about this in our generation--one of the things that we've said that is so difficult to get from Old Testament and Bible New Testament into today... You see, most of our homes--and this is going to be an "ouchie" for some of you, but that is okay--most of our homes are no longer our dwellings. They are investments. Most of us that have made real estate transactions and the different things that have gone on... "Man, this thing's making twenty percent a year, and if I can get this, and I'll roll it into that, and we're making twenty percent on our money, and this thing is growing..." So, at least be honest for what it is. It is not your house. It is not your home. It is not your generational dwelling place. It is not an ancient landmark. It is a business transaction, and everything that you have to deal with, it is increase, as it goes on, and we need to see that things have changed in our generation. It has been, for years... It has been one of the best places to invest, to put our money. It is making gain for us; hence, we call it "capital gain." You see, I don't know that much about finances. I don't know that much about finances, about economics. I only know what the Word says, and it says, "Don't rob God." It says the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, nothing we have is our own; we are stewards over these things that God has put into our hands. Are we listening clearly to hear the voice? What do you want me to do with this, Father? This seems such a wise investment; it can make money... You know, making money is not always God's will. What appears to be a good deal on paper may not be a good deal in the kingdom perspective. And so, be prayerful, and ask God what it is that is going to honor Him with our substance, our wealth, our worth.

I shared with one of the businessmen here in the church, not long ago, I said--he was asking, "Well, should I expand, and do you think I should invest in this?" I asked, where is your heart? He said, "Well, what do you mean?" I asked, well, where is your heart? Do you have enough right now? "Yeah..." How much of your time is this going to take? How much of your energy is this going to take? How much are you going to be tied up, if God says, "I want you to go to India now. We're going to start a work over there and help out for ninety days"?

Getting more and bigger, the wise man says--as you continue to increase, all you can do is behold it with your eyes, and those are going to increase around you, as the business grows, that eat it up. And, so many times unfortunately, in the end of this thing, you've got all of this "stuff," and you're still making just about the same net profit, because you're paying everybody else's workman's compensation, and you're paying all of these salaries, and you're paying insurance, and all these things. You stay up late and worry, and the laborer's sleep is sweet. There is a sweet spot in all of this: that you can be very comfortable, and be able to step away from it, and be free, and go serve, and come up here, and help out with young people, and trips to certain aspects of ministry, and go to Africa, and go to India. But, if the mentality of the world continues to govern, it's always you have to make more, we've got to get bigger, we've got to expand, we've got to... Where is your heart? Where your heart is, is where your treasure is. I want to get to the place where I am comfortable, and I am blessed, and I am free to do whatever God tells me to do. So, that's part of what we're talking about here, each one giving according to our ability, giving liberally, but always with the kingdom of God foremost in our thinking.

What are you thinking, men? I want to get to the place where I have more time to spend with my family, more time to minister for the Lord. Or, is our thinking, I want to put more money away? How tragic will it be, if that is what we spend all our time on, and the Bible is true? We say we believe the Scriptures that say, "Take no thought for the morrow." We have talked about that. It does not mean to be stupid, and waste, and eat up everything. The wise man saves; we invest, we look and prepare for the future, but we live as though the Lord is coming today. What has your heart? Let me--how tragic would it be to spend all of our time and our energy over all this stuff? I personally believe that there is going to be a total, worldwide economic collapse. Why? Because... The book of Revelation teaches that. Antichrist, in conjunction with the false prophet, is going to arise and fix the economics. And, guess what? You get to have this little mark, on your hand or on your forehead. And, without it, nobody can buy or sell. What am I saying to you? Everything you saved up, everything you trusted in is going to be gone just [Pastor snaps fingers] like that! Thou fool, this night your soul is going to be required of you!

What a foolish thing to trust in the barns, the multiplicity, and not in the relationships, and the kingdom of God, and laying up treasure, by giving our time, and our energy, and our money into the eternal, instead of saving it up for a day that may not come. "But, I need to have enough to retire." Why not just work until you drop? Who invented retirement? I don't see retirement in the Bible, except for the priests. How many of you know when the priests were supposed to retire? Anybody remember? Fifty, I am ten years over. This is a man-induced philosophy, if you want to look at it. Retirement should be what Al is doing, amen? And, what Harold is doing. I don't have to go down there anymore, so what do I do? I get to come up here and work around the house of the Lord; amen? What a blessing, praise God! Have you ever been happier? Al says, "This is the happiest I've ever been in my life, man, working for nothing!" And, laying up treasures, amen? That is what it is all about; it is a heart attitude.

I am not going to go on any more tonight. It is what we have, not what we do not have, and what you have is not your liquidity. What you have is what you have. "Well, I've got it all tied up, so I don't have anything to give." Then untie some of it, amen? The Master has need of it. I would encourage you, those of you that have different things; I would encourage you to get to that place where you can put your hands on certain amounts of it. I know, as we oversee here, we have the different things that we have tried to be wise stewards and invest in. At times, some of the advice was, "If we put some of this over here, we could get a few more percent on it." Then, thank the Lord that we are able to find these--finally, we were able to get these CD's that you get a one time withdrawal, without penalty. Okay, I will put it in there, but I am not putting all my money somewhere I can't get it. What if Tony calls and says, "We need fifty thousand dollars"? "Well, brother, we'd like to help you but it's--we were able to make one and a half more percent on the CD, and it has to stay in there for twelve years. Call me in twelve years."

We all know, in our investments, that there has to be some of that liquidity, something we can put our hands on. Let's not get caught up with the world. Let's not get caught up in indebtedness. Let's work toward a freedom of owing no man anything but to love them. I know that has become a doctrine that has been misused in some of the movements, but beloved, some of us have gone the other way, and we are living just like the world. Man, we are in debt up to "here." "If one more bill of a hundred bucks came in, I don't know where I'm going to come up with it, but I sure like my new house!" What a miserable way to live! You need to possibly rethink how valuable freedom is and not judge ourselves by ourselves.

Father, we thank You for the Word of God, and we just ask that You would give us an opportunity to love You, and worship You, and honor You with our substance. As we are looking to Father, right now, there is one last thing to say-- this is not, again, to those of you who are giving--because, you see, the fact is, that most of you who are giving abundantly are the type that'll say "what can I do to give more?" We are not talking to you. I am not talking to you people that are giving abundantly. I am talking to the ones that are not giving. I am talking to the ones that are giving grudgingly. I am talking to the ones that are giving out of constraint, necessity, and not cheerfully. God loves a cheerful giver, not someone that "has to do it." Don't give, Paul said, because people are putting pressure on you, but give because of your worship toward the Lord, a cheerful giver, a "quick to do it" giver, a delighting in the privilege of honoring He that has redeemed us. We are talking to the people that are so "taken-up" with more that we have crippled ourselves in our freedom to give.

Some of us are barely tithing, and we do not have a dime leftover for offerings, for missions, for thankfulness to DT, because we are paying every single dime on a new house or a new living room set. What is wrong with a--what do you call those things that you cover your couch up with? Whatever they are, one of those covers... What is wrong with that, for a while? There is nothing wrong with new furniture, if you can afford it. I want to tell you something; you cannot afford it if you do not have enough to give to God whenever He speaks to you. "Well, yeah, I can. I can borrow and for only eighteen percent on my credit card, and at twelve dollars a month for the next seventy-two years... I can afford it. Then, next month, if I consolidate these six, I can squeeze in one more chair for forty-two years, paying on that." Then, dear God... "I would like to have a little more to give to Brother Chacha, but he just lives in a mud hut, what does he need? We have real problems! Besides, these ten bucks, what's that going to do?" What is that "ten bucks" going to do? That is twenty percent of his income. How shortsighted are we? You see, that is this generation. They live for the moment. We take no thought for the morrow. There is a big difference in that!

Father, we thank You for Your presence, Your grace, Your blessings. Help us to step back for just a moment and really examine our own hearts, and ask, "Do I have the ability to answer Your call?" I am tithing, Lord. I know I am doing what I am obligated to do, what has been put on me, but are we free, if God should speak? Now, He is not going to speak beyond your ability, but you know, He may speak something that is beyond your liquidity. What are you going to do? I don't know of anything at the moment; we are not trying to raise any money here. We are trying to get people free. We are not trying to increase the income; we are making it fine. We are trying to get people out from under a curse. We are trying to get the wedge of gold out of our midst, so that God can bless us, and fill us with the Holy Spirit, and heal people in our midst, and do miracles, and give us power to win souls. But, if we've got this stuff hidden in the camp, man, we are going to get "whooped up" at Ai every time we turn around, and we will wonder what's going on. Where are the miracles? Where is the power of God? Where is the anointing? How come we, after taking Jericho, how come we can't take Ai? What has happened to us? As a fellowship, we took Jericho. Man, we lived decades... We lived in the supernatural. We lived in the miraculous power of God. The walls came down! The miracle power of God was seen. Why are we struggling with Ai?

Father, as we examine our hearts, speak clearly, we ask. Help us to be doers, not just willing, as Paul said, but a willing heart and doers. Let us do something to change this course, those of us that are under that bondage, and we ask it for them, Father, in Jesus' name, amen.

Turn to somebody next to you, and say, "God loves a cheerful giver." Amen. Go in peace. God's love go with you.

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