Gifts and Talents

        God made everything we can see, touch, and feel. He made the stars and the Galaxies. He made the Earth and everything in it. There is nothing that God did not make, including us humans. Our God owns it all. We humans own nothing on this earth. Everything we have, our God gave to us. We cannot create life, God is the only One who can create life. When a child is born, our God gave that child His breath (Spirit). We cannot live without our spirit. When we die, our spirit leaves our body, and returns to God who made it. We humans cannot create life, only God can do that. He owns it all including us humans.

      God gave us a mind, so we can think. We can can think about the goodness of God. We can create things on this earth. We can see the things to come, in our minds.

      He gave us a heart, so we can feel. We can feel God’s presence in Our lives. We can have compassion for those around us

      He gave us a free will, so we can choose. We can serve God, or we can go our own way, and try to do it ourselves. God made us, but we can choose to be without Him. The choice is still ours to make. He said “whosoever will” may come to Him.

      We can have many things and much riches. But it still belongs to God. We are caretakers of the things we have. We came into this world without anything, and we will leave this world without anything. It all belongs to Him. He lets us use the things we have, but it returns to Him.

      God does require us to give tithes and offerings. This goes for everyone. A tithe is the first 10% on the increase we have. The offerings is our choice to make. If we do not give God tithes and offerings we are robbing God. We have the things we have because God gave it to us. It all belongs to Him. We just use it while here on earth.

      We also rob God in another area. We rob Him of the blessing He gives to us when we give to Him. The tithes and offerings we give, will come back to us as a blessing. We cannot out give God. When we give to Him, He blesses us with more than we gave. Our God is waiting to bless us, and we rob Him, because He wants to bless us. He cannot bless us, if we are not doing our part, by giving what He has told us to do.

      There was a lady in church who made $1,000.00 the previous week. She started to make out a check for $100.00 as a tithe to the Lord. She felt the Lord say to her “make the check for $120.00.” So she did. There was a man in the same church that was known to give $100.00 bills to those in need and as a testimony of God’s goodness. He went to the lady and started to take out a $100.00 bill. There was a $20.00 bill stuck to the $100.00 bill. He started to take the $20.00 bill and put it back into his wallet and to get another $100.00 bill out. He heard God say “I said $120.00.” The man said to God “I am a man known for giving out $100.00 bills.” Then God said “no, you are a man who listens to Me.” He gave the lady $120.00. The story was told in church a few years later. The man’s daughter came into the man’s office a few days later and asked her father “are you the one who gave that lady the $120.00. He said “yes.” The daughter said “all my life I saw you go back into restaurants to give someone some money. Dad, I want to be just like you.” His daughter had just recently come back to the Lord. We always get back more that we give. We can’t out give God.

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      New King James Version
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

      New King James Version
Malachi 3:4 "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the LORD, As in the days of old, As in former years.
5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien--Because they do not fear Me," Says the LORD of hosts.
6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
7 ¶ Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, `In what way shall we return?'
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, `In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in 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 room enough to receive it.
11 "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;
12 "And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.