barbels telling me to the book of X X
chapter 20 X chapter 20 verse 35 Angela
Kahn hey Don good to see you and I just
felt God's there I had a picture and
this is a stranger keep playing Chris
and I just had a picture and the picture
was of this there's a YouTube clip and
there's a person out there at this like
concert outdoor concert and they're just
like doing this and everyone's looking
at them and thinking what are you doing
and my way out there on their own saying
I'm out of my own yeah and and then also
and someone join them and before you
know a whole crowd came in behind them
and I don't know what area of your life
it is but there's a part of your life
where you feel like I'm just on my own
where is everybody
and I feel God say you just keep dancing
before the Lord you just keep worshiping
God and you're gonna find God's gonna
use you as a leader for people to come
and encounter his presence that God's
going to use you as someone who's going
to inspire others and there's going to
come a moment you realize I'm not on my
own I'm not out on a limb that God is
going to have full support come around
you in those areas where you're feeling
like you've been isolated and being
alone amen praise God
Acts chapter 20 verse verse 35 32 the
first 35
actually um Vincent Lloyd who is good to
say here and I just heard the Holy
Spirit just say just then that he is
going to replace something that you had
lost that seemed irreplaceable that
there was something that you had lost it
was an area of loss and it was like it
never it was almost like left a
permanent void and it's like well that
is permanent that's irreplaceable I felt
God saying that he is going to fill the
void and at that area of loss he is
going to replace and he's going to feel
life with life joy he's going to bring a
great deal of life joy and strength into
your life as a result so amen I think
that's it that's it Chris
awesome won't you thank Chris is he it
just just got off a plane from South
Carolina
we were just in South Carolina it was
all just all over America don't praise
and worship around America and then make
sure he's back on Sunday incredible
order an awesome man of God and single
and praise God and so yeah so any of you
oh no I did that to scope like more last
year we we're gonna set up a stand for
anyone any expressions of interest but
chris is a good boy and I can vouch for
him and if you're looking for someone to
marry your daughter or your
granddaughter or yourself he's you know
he's on that good age you know like no
anyway I'll leave that alone alright
praise God Acts chapter 20 come back
Holy Spirit Acts chapter 20 verse 35
Acts chapter 20 verse 35 says this I've
shown you in every way by laboring like
this that you must support the weak
remember the words of the Lord Jesus
that he said it's more blessed to give
than it is to receive I read that again
I've shown you in every way by laboring
like this so you must support the weak
remember the words of the Lord Jesus
that he said it's more blessed to give
than it is to receive tired of my
message today is get blessed part 2
let's pray father I thank you for your
word I just ask him pray that you help
us to have a Kingdom mindset in all
things log on and I pray for freedom and
liberty for people too
I think and praise you for that Lord in
Jesus name Amen
last week I started a little miniseries
called I get blessed and you know kind
of jumping off this verse where it's
quoted about Jesus the Apostle Paul is
quoting Jesus said it's more blessed to
give than it is to receive what that
means is we open up more of the
blessings of God by giving than by
simply receiving there's nothing wrong
with receiving receiving is a blessing
but it's more blessed that we give and
so one of the things I want to talk
about over last week in this week is I
want to talk about the different
blessings that happen as a result of
giving because all through Scripture it
indicates there's a number of things
that happen as a result of our
generosity to others and as a result of
our generosity towards the lawn I
started last week and we looked at the
first part of Malachi chapter 3 and the
reason why I'm using Malachi chapter 3
is basically because within that whole
passage there's a number of things where
it kind of references some of the things
I'm talking about and you notice we
cross-referenced it with other passages
of scripture to talk about the different
things that happen as a result of our
giving and we talked about last week in
number one that when we give to God a
text when we give or a generous it
actually pleases God that it's something
that he enjoys that it's actually an act
of worship when we do that we also
talked about a whole number of other
things that happen as a result of our
giving but today I'm going to jump down
to the second part of Malachi chapter 3
and talk about a few other things that
indicates happens as a result of our
giving now I'm sure if you've been in
church any length of time every couple
of years there's like a miniseries or a
discussion or a talk on the area of
finances and sometimes when that happens
we think to ourselves ah okay you know
I've heard this topic before but who
knows that there's nothing wrong with us
sometime from time to time having a
little bit of revision I was a Bible
College lecturer and I used to do it you
know do ethics and and I do a year on
ethics and then the next year I get the
second years in and I talk to them about
some things I talked about the year
before
I would say to them you remember how we
talked about this last year and they
looked at me blankly and I'm like come
on you remember we spent a few hours on
this and they said could you remind me
and so then in reminding them they like
our that's right because who knows just
because you heard something once it
doesn't mean we shouldn't hear about it
again and so I just really felt that
this was a really appropriate time in
the life of our church probably at it to
be honest at a part time within our
church we're actually now finding our
search finances are probably in some of
the healthiest position it's been for
many many years and so I thought that
would be an appropriate time to talk on
this topic so people wouldn't think it's
out of a place of need for us or think
it was somehow that our motives were
polluted or anything like that and so I
want to talk to you today from the
second half of Malachi chapter 3 about
some other things that the scripture
tells us our blessings as a result of
giving to the Lord the first thing I
want to talk and so we'll go to Malachi
chapter 3 verses 10 to 12 and I'll just
read those out again Malachi chapter 3
verses 10 to 12 says is bring all the
tithes into the storehouse that there
may be food in my house and try me now
and this says the Lord of Hosts if I
will not open for you the windows of
heaven and pour out for you such
blessing that there will not be enough
room to receive it and I will rebuke the
Devourer for your sakes so that he will
not destroy the fruit of your ground nor
shall the vine fail to bear fruit for
you in the field says the Lord of Hosts
and all nations will call you blessed
for you will be a delightful land it
says the Lord of Hosts within this
passage of Scripture are a few more
things that happen few more blessings
that happen as a result of giving the
first one is this Malachi 3:10 says
bring all the tithes into the storehouse
that they may be food in my house try me
now and this says the Lord of Hosts if I
will not open for you the windows of
heaven and pour out for you such
blessing that not enough room to receive
it so he is saying that when we give we
open the windows of heaven now in this
immediate context the immediate context
is actually talking about provision but
it's even more than that
all through the scripture whenever it
talks about open heavens it always talks
about the presence of God power and
revelation so when God here is saying
that I will open the windows of heaven
it's more than just provision it's even
a much wider spiritual dynamic the Bible
says that when Jesus was baptized in the
River Jordan Bible said heaven was
opened the Holy Spirit the presence of
God came upon him in the form of a dove
and there was a voice revelation a voice
from heaven saying here is my beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased
all through the scripture there are a
number of times that indicate that when
there was some kind of sacrifice brought
before the Lord that not only was it
actually lit manually but there were
times when it actually attracted the
fire and the presence of God and so the
first thing the first blessing as a
result of generosity is actually power
in the presence of God I want to read to
you a number of scriptures that indicate
this in 1 Kings 18 verse 38 says then
the fire of the Lord fell and consumed
the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the
stones and the dust and it leaked up the
water that was in the trench now 1 all
the people saw it they fell on their
faces and they said the Lord he is God
He is God so this is the story about the
prophet Elijah I talked to you about
this recently where he was actually
conducting a duel with the prophets of
Baal and he established his sacrifice
and it was an act of generosity even
more than that he had a number of large
jars of water which is what they didn't
have because I were in a drought and he
poured it upon them and then after
praying the fire of heaven fell so the
fire of heaven fell upon a sacrifice
God's presence is attracted to sacrifice
and Leviticus chapter 9 verses 23 to 24
says when and Moses and Aaron went into
the tabernacle of meeting and came out
and blessed the people then the glory of
the Lord appeared to all the people and
fire came out from the Lord and consumed
the burnt offering and fed on the altar
when all the people saw it they shouted
and fell on their faces
so David established a sacrifice an
altar before the Lord and placed an
offering upon it and without even
lighting it fire fell from heaven
landed upon one chronicles chapter 21
verses 21 chronicles 21 verse 26 says in
david built there an altar to the lord
and offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings and called on the Lord and he
answered him from heaven by fire on the
altar of the burnt offering so once
again David actually establishes an
altar before the Lord he's not a priest
so it's not a sin offering that Jesus
replaced it was an outstanding act of
generosity and the fire of Lord the Lord
fell on that altar and fell upon the
sacrifice in second chronicles chapter 7
verse 1 said when Solomon had finished
praying fire come down from heaven and
consumed the burnt offering in the
sacrifices and the glory of the Lord
filled the temple again this was an
offering not given by a priest it was an
offering given by the King Solomon King
Solomon and the Bible says that fire
from heaven fell upon that offering
interestingly enough then there's
probably more references to fire falling
upon that than even inhabiting our
praises that literally all through the
scripture there are times when people
had a sacrifice before the Lord and not
all of them were ones that were replaced
by Jesus Christ many of them were
actually just outstanding acts of
generosity as a result fire from heaven
fell from it fell upon it
that's why Bill Johnson from Bethel
Church actually says that generosity is
one of the keys to revival if you do a
study of revivals you will notice that
there's often two common elements one is
prayer but another one is actually
generosity if you look at the early
church a church that was one that had
many signs and wonders in Acts chapter 2
42 to 47 like many signs and wonders
were done by the apostles apostles and
then the very next sentence and said it
and everyone gave generously and
liberally generosity fire power and
presence actually go together and that
is why what I have seen over the years
there's been times when I've sat in a
move of God and the thing that actually
triggered it was actually generosity
remember one time yes group we just had
a regular meeting and at the end of the
regular meeting afterwards I just you
know when I was just about to close the
meeting and as I did all of a sudden all
these kids just came out and just stood
at the altar and the only way I could
describe it it was almost like a side
door opened and it was just like a wave
of God's presence came through and for
the next hour God's presence was
touching these kids as they came before
the altar before the Lord and he was
just touching and moving powerfully I
remember at the end of the service
thinking to myself well you know that
was an interesting sovereign move of God
we didn't even pray for that we didn't
plan that it's something that just
happened but then afterwards one of the
ushers came up to me and he passed the
van he said you should have seen the
offering tonight and I said what and the
offering was five times the normal
amount that our youth would actually
give and what had happened was there was
one of our team actually going to join
why Wham and we took up an offering for
her and just from the kids and it was so
much more than what we would normally
take out and it just so happened that on
that very same night the power and the
presence of God came in the presence of
God one of the things that can actually
help the Bible says open the windows of
heaven is actually is actually acts of
generosity if we want to have an open
heaven over our lives obedience and
sacrifice which includes generosity is
one of the ways that we can actually
walk in that the next thing that the
scripture says Malachi chapter 3 verse
10 it says bring all the tithes into the
storehouse that there may be food in my
house try me now in this says the Lord
of Hosts if I will not open you the
windows of heaven and pour out fees such
blessing that will not be enough room to
receive it so he is saying there God is
saying to the Israelites if you will I
will he says if you will step into
obedience in this area in the realm of
generosity he says if you will do that
then actually I will open the windows of
heaven
what's he actually talking about these
actually saying that giving can actually
reduce break throughs then literally God
can respond to actually our generosity
that generosity is one of the keys to
unlocking an opening breakthrough you
would know that last year we talked
about that tooth during the 12 days of
breakthrough and spent a fair bit of
time on that but we read our 21 days of
breakthrough is basically based on
message
the six and in Matthew chapter 6 Jesus
gives us three principles that he says
if you do these in private then actually
God will reward you in public and one of
those keys was actually Dupree says when
you pray go into your room and pray and
your father who sees what you're doing
secret will reward you openly another
one is fasting he says when you fast
your father you know don't you know
don't disfigure your face like the
hypocrites do guys wash your face and he
says don't show that you're fasting and
your father who says what you're doing
secret will reward you openly so we can
see that those two disciplines of prayer
and fasting are actually some things
that actually can produce breakthroughs
is there anybody here who's ever
received a breakthrough as a result of
prayer five of you awesome is the only
one here who's ever received a
breakthrough as a result of fasting well
Jesus says in Matthew chapter six verse
three he says wheat goes when you give
and when you give to the poor
do not let your left hand know what your
right hand is doing so that your giving
will be in secret and your father who
sees what is done in secret will reward
you so he is actually saying there that
giving just like prayer and fasting
actually a keys to receiving
breakthrough the difference between
breakthrough and there's an difference
between unexpected miracles is that
literally there are times when you can
seek God about a breakthrough in your
life and he can actually tell you what
to do in order to receive it
there are times we can receive miracles
that are like sovereign that we didn't
realize we're coming but there are other
times that literally by our generosity
he can tell us ahead of time what's
going to happen and we can do that in
faith in order to receive the
breakthrough I know myself many many
times that I have received breakthroughs
as a result of and the kids are actually
getting the breakthrough was actually
true generosity I remember a couple of
years ago when I was itinerant and on
the road and when you're on tenant
speaker your your income is so fluent
you just don't know how you're gonna get
and I remember one time I said Lord I'm
believing you for an extra you know 500
bucks a week
and I'm you know
was praying about it and I felt God say
to me he said well I want you to give 50
dollars to this particular ministry and
I'm like well you know I want more why
are you getting me to give more and he
says now once he gives this finance over
to that particular ministry and I said
okay I'll try this week and so this was
between me and God and the Bible said I
told you last week he said test me in
there and so I grabbed and so I remember
I rode off and I sent some money over to
this ministry and literally that week I
got given an extra $500 unexpectedly I
said that could have been coincidence I
said I'll try it again I had so the next
week I did the same thing to that same
ministry that God spoke to me about I'm
not telling you the name of the ministry
because the powers not in the ministry
the pair is in obedience to God and yeah
what's that ministry I'll send some
money to it no um that's not what this
is about and so I took and I did the
same thing happened the next week and
then the third week I said okay I'll try
a third time and I felt God say do it
and I did it again and that very next
week another $500 but what did he say to
me he said this act of faith is active
sacrifice is going to be the to receive
what actually I have for you now some
people misinterpret the scripture or
misinterpret this philosophy or theology
and try and make it so that we can twist
God's arm that somehow we can get God to
do whatever we are we want him to do
that's not how it works he is God he is
the Lord and we are his servants but
make no mistake at his initiative there
are times where he will say test me now
on this and see if I don't open the
windows of heaven that it actually
initiates on his behalf and he says if
you do this I give you a promise that
when you do this I will release this
into your world all through scripture
there are a number of times this happen
if you want to look it up David that
scripture I read before about the fire
falling when David actually offered a
sacrifice he gave that sacrifice in
order to stop a plague in order to stop
that God promised him that um that he's
going to stop a Paul but he not to give
that outstanding act of generosity in
order to receive the breakthrough that
God actually had for him we need to be
open to the fact that in order to get
the breakthroughs that God has for us
sometimes one of the ways one of the
mechanisms is actually through
generosity and I spent 21 days a
breakthrough last year talking about
that so I'm not going to spend any more
time on that this morning the next one
is this says in Malachi chapter 3 verse
10 says bring all the tithes into the
storehouse that there may be food in my
house tribe now and this says the Lord
of Hosts if I will not open the windows
of heaven and pour out for you such
blessing that there will not be enough
room to receive it he's actually saying
here that if you and he's telling these
people that if you do what I asked you
to do in this area of generosity he is
saying I'm going to open the windows of
heaven and the immediate context of that
is talking about releasing the provision
of God so the third key the third thing
the third blessing that can result as an
as a result from generosity the third
blessing is actually prosperity its
prosperity
now the word prosperity has been
hijacked a little bit because some
people think that prosperity is that
everybody's driving around in limos that
everybody's driving around in Ferraris
but that's not actually what it's
talking about the prosperity of God is
that God will supply all your needs but
more than just your needs so that you
have more to actually give away proverbs
chapter 3 verses 9 and 10 says this
honor the Lord with wealth with the
firstfruits of all your crops then your
barns will be filled to overflowing and
your vats will brim over when you on 2nd
Corinthians 9 verse 6 but this I say he
who so sparingly will also reap
sparingly he who sows bountifully will
also reap bountifully chapter 638 we
don't have the list there but he says
give and be given back to you pressed
down shaken together and running over
all men pour into your lap one of the
great joys of scene in ministry over the
years is when people have stepped into
this realm of accessing an increase in
the provision of God because they've
stepped into that realm of generosity
and I have given many stories in this
church over the last couple of years of
that and I thought maybe already you're
sick of some of my stories so I thought
I might ask someone else for one of
their stories and so I'm going to invite
my nessa Lord to come up one of the
great members of our church won't you
give her a round of
and she came up to me last week she goes
past me and I've got so many stories
about the miraculous provision of God
and that's and I said well won't you
come and share one and so she's going to
share one today good morning I'm English
so I'm gonna be talking about pounds
dollars back in my early twenties I
started going to church and I started
having Bible studies with the pastor and
I thought it was great
I was learning all these wonderful
things you are loved you are forgiven
etc etc and I'm thinking this is
wonderful and there's a little thing in
the back of my mind going it's too good
to be true
it's a catch so I turned up for the
Bible study one week and the pastor said
I'm gonna talk about tithing I said all
right what's that I've never heard the
word he said well basically give 10
percent of your income to the church and
the little voice in the back of mine
said there's the catch he's after your
money but I was too polite to say that
to him and I said I'm sorry I can't do
that I can't make ends meet on my salary
as he did without giving any more away
he said well you need to talk to God
about it I said okay god I think it's
the stupidest thing I've ever heard of
but if you want me to do it you
convinced me and I start get this
niggling my version of the Bible says
prove me now prove me now prove me now
it's okay you can trust me I want to
bless you and I wasn't big on trust in
those days and I was thinking this is
stupid I thought you know I'm gonna do
it I'm gonna um I was fed up it being
nagged basically so I said right I'm
gonna do it now time I I was working as
a police officer and my salary it was a
hundred and sixty pounds a month and I
bought a house and my mortgage was a
hundred and twenty pounds a month which
didn't leave a lot so I had a
policewoman living with me who gave me
thirty pounds a month
so I've got 190 coming in and I have 120
going out so I'm left with 70 and I
thought right I'm going to pay the tithe
but that month had actually got a 60
pound overdraft already because that was
how I handled my finances I'd get my
salary pay them or pay the overdraft
build up another overdraft so okay I've
got 70 pounds I've got 60 pound
overdraft so I've got 10 pounds left hmm
10 pounds for the month but I've got to
play 19 pounds tithe okay I don't know
how this is going to work for the whole
of that month I didn't go without food I
went to work every day when my bank
statement came in at the end of the
month there was ten pounds in my account
and I thought that's not logical it
doesn't add up and I added it up from
top to bottom from bottom to top and it
still came out I've got 10 pounds and I
had no idea what I'd lived on for a
month and this little thing inside went
God's just done something and I thought
no it can't be
can't be no that's not logical but I'll
try it again so the following month I
paid my 19 pounds and I was walking down
the road and I passed a carpet shop and
there was a piece of carpet outside now
I needed a new carpet for my lounge room
and I'd priced it and it was over 120
pounds the exact carpet that I'd priced
was there and it was an offcut
it was 32 pounds and it was us the right
size for my lounge room and I thought
wow that was a lucky coincidence
the following month had paid my tithe
and there was a same carpet shop
beautiful piece of carpet at the front
and I thought it's lovely that would
look so nice and it was just the right
size to do my haul stairs landing and
bathroom should have been over 300
pounds
but because it was an offcut I got it
for 58 I don't think I think that's
doing something but I wasn't quite sure
and I thought I'll give it one more shot
hate my tithe and I was at work and one
of the police women came to me and she
said them did you want a car and I said
yeah I couldn't afford a car and she
said damn my dad's a second-hand car
dealer and he wants to get rid of a car
would you like it so and how much it is
you can have it for 35 pounds so my
weekly salary was 40 you know so you can
imagine what kind of car it was in
England you have a thing called an MOT
certificate which says your car is legal
to drive on the road and it had a 13
month MOT certificate so for 35 pounds
I've got this car that was legal for 13
months and I drove it for 13 months I
did the equivalent of Sydney to Brisbane
about two or three times a month when
the exhaust fell off I went back after
13 months I went to the garage and I
said can you do anything with this he
said yes darling I'll give you 20 pounds
scrap that's it
so my my car actually cost 15 pounds for
13 months of trouble-free driving after
that I decided that yes I did want to be
a Christian and since then I've never
not paid tithes it doesn't matter how
much I've got how little I've got I've
always paid my tide because God showed
me that he actually he means what he
says I want to bless you I want to open
the windows of heaven and pour out a
blessing so that's how God taught me to
tithe
we found that carpet shop that's how we
did the floor just in case you were
wondering so and although I know some of
you thinking where is that shop anyway
so praise God oh the next one in the
last point Malachi chapter 3 verse 11
and he says and I will rebuke the
Devourer for your sakes so that he will
not destroy the fruit of your ground nor
shall the vine fail to bear fruit for
you in the field Caesar Lord of Hosts I
will rebuke the Devourer the fourth
thing the fourth blessing of giving it
actually petrifies the devil the devil
actually doesn't like it there's a
number of things that we can do which
are actually an act of spiritual warfare
and generosity is actually one of those
things you know there was a tithing in
mark chapter 14 verses 3 to 10 I won't
read that all but it's the story about
Jesus and he was at Simon a man named
Simon's house who was a Pharisee and and
Mary Magdalene came in with an alabaster
box of perfume the equivalent of a
year's salary so it's very expensive and
so she grabbed it and she poured it out
upon him over his head and poured it out
and then she was washing she was weeping
and she was washing his feet with her
tears and she had was drawing it with
her hair a lot of people there were
indignant because they said what a waste
of money why would you spend that money
on the body of Christ amen
he says instead we should have been
given to the poor what alone is this the
world would much prefer you given your
finance to the poor but doesn't like it
when you give it to the body of Christ
and then Jesus said he goes well he said
you don't know what she's done she's
anointed my body for burial so the body
of Christ was anointed through
generosity we talked about the presence
of God before amen and then the Bible
says after this Inlet in Luke and I'm
sorry it was in it was in mark there's
three accounts and he marked the Bible
says that after this Judas then decided
that he was going to betray Jesus that
was the trigger for him he couldn't
handle it and he decided to betray Jesus
but elsewhere in the Gospels when it
says that he was actually going to
betray Jesus one of the other Gospels
said Satan into Judas so watch this
Satan into Judas and triggered him after
that act of generosity towards the body
of Christ the enemy cannot handle that
devourer is rebuked when the fight went
be God's people bless the body of Christ
and bless his kingdom the enemy cannot
handle it that's why it's really easy
for discernment when you know what God
wants you to give because I promise you
it won't be the devil telling you to now
the Bible says that when it comes time
to give we shouldn't do it under
compulsion so there's been many times
when I've given a lot of money to things
and there's been other times I just
haven't felt - but what I found is this
if ever there's a voice really where I
have a desire to actually give something
and then there's a little voice on my
shoulder actively opposing it and giving
me all the reasons why it's not why I
can't do it most of the time I tend to
think that's probably the enemy if God
doesn't want me to give to something I'm
generally just not moved by it I
generally don't feel compulsion I have
that freedom not to but when God does
want me to give to something I have this
desire to do it but then there's almost
like this real opposition coming up with
all those reasons I find if that's the
case if there's a great resistance
towards me doing that along with other
spiritual disciplines as well this is
not the only one then I find that it's
often the enemy trying to stop me from
stepping into something that God
actually has for me because no mistake
the enemy is anti God says he will
rebuke the Devourer John 10:10 says the
thief the enemy has come to steal kill
and destroy one of his roles is to steal
and to devour and God's Word says he
will rebuke the Devourer in response to
people stepping into this realm of
generosity it's what it's an act of
spiritual warfare so not only does it
actually please God but actually it also
petrifies the devil and I'm not trying
to get people to give to things under
compulsion or feeling like I have to do
or anything like that that's not it
that's not what I'm trying to say at all
what I'm saying is when God moves on
your heart to give towards something if
there's a voice that comes in from the
other side giving you all the reasons
why you can't a lot of the time that's
actually the enemy that is why in Anna's
Ananias and Sapphira when they actually
lied about giving about the selling of
their property and bringing their
finances into the early church and this
is the New Testament Post Pentecost when
they did that the Apostle Peter said how
was it that Satan got you to do this he
was he was not saying that you should
have given more he's actually saying you
lied about it but notice this the enemy
came in over an act of generosity over
giving to the kingdom of God it's
something that the enemy will always
actively oppose and so sometimes if
there's if sometimes just for a bit of
fun just to annoy the devil sometimes
it's good to do something to bless God
and bless his kingdom amen just to know
that that would dick him off that our
enemy the thing that you could do
something to tick off your enemy I mean
some people are motivated the other way
to know that you would do something that
would bless God that's wonderful but
there are other people move out another
way I could do something just to tick
off the enemy then one of the ways and
that can happen is actually through
generosity it is more blessed to give
that is to receive we open up more of
the blessings of God by giving than by
simply receiving and I know that many of
you have experienced this in your life
and it's something that is part a
fundamental part of the Christian life
but the reason why God wants us to be
generous is because it's more blessed to
give than it is to receive amen and my
prayer for every single person in our
church if you want to look up the word
bless and blessing through the scripture
are a lot a lot more than courtesy that
actually God's love and grace towards us
is far stronger than when you give your
life to Jesus cry
the wrath of God has actually turned
away from us and his blessing is towards
us and one of the ways that we can open
up even more the blessings of God is
through generosity amen
and I know for a number of you this is
something you've already got down pat
and this is just a little refresher a
little holiday reminder of the promises
in the scripture amen but maybe you're
hearing your like how mean essa was when
she first spoke and went to that church
in England and it's things that could be
quite jarring or it could be something
that's quite it could be something
that's quite foreign a foreign concept
to you you know the Bible says and we
read it last week God says test me in
this and it's something that she said as
well that she felt God say to approve me
in this and she first and she proved God
in that area and I can testify in my own
life and on behalf of my wife that we
can tent in this area we can test him in
this amen praise God I just get you to
close your eyes and bare heads from