Monday January 04th, 2021
Memorize: Proverbs 15:8 Coping Words (CW)
« A sacrifice brought by ungodly people is disgusting to the LORD, but the prayers of decent people please him. »
Read: Genesis 4:3-5 God’s Words Translations (GWT)
3 Later Cain brought some crops from the land as an offering to the Lord.
4 Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock.
The Lord approved of Abel and his offering,
5 but He didn’t approve of Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry and was disappointed.
Message:
It is only a beggar who would not consider the status of whoever is giving him/her gifts; he/she just collects alms from whoever, whenever.
God is not a beggar.
He accepts gifts only from His children and rejects the proceeds of cheating, embezzlement and the like.
The fact that money lands in the offering bag or Church account does not mean it has been accepted by God.
“The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift.”
Note the sequence in the verse above: the names appeared before the offering.
This means that the acceptance of the offering depends on the giver.
If God accepts your offering, He has accepted you.
Some people have complained of stagnation despite being faithful in the payment of their tithes and offerings. This might be because God has not accepted them. If He hasn’t, He cannot accept their offering.
In 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, Paul asked the Macedonian Church to give themselves to God first before giving to the man of God. That is the only acceptable offering – one that is offered after the giver has given their life to Christ.
So, before your next offering, ask yourself: Am I a genuine child of God?
It is a terrible thing for God to reject an offering; because it means He has rejected the giver. Cain, out of envy, killed his brother because of this.
A long time ago, the RCCG was in dire need of a new sound system and a rich man donated the latest model to the Church. While I was still rejoicing about this, I heard God say Tell him to take the gift back; I don’t want it. The man left in sorrow knowing God had rejected him.
May God never reject you and your offering in the mighty name of Jesus. For that prayer to be answered, you must ensure you are in right standing with Him, living a holy life.
Key point: God only accepts the offering of those who are His children.
Author: Pst E. A. Adeboye.
Text edited by Naomie
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