I see giving OUR WHOLE lives completly FIRST everyday as apart of giving our first fruits. The question I ask us today is how hungry are you for God?
Matthew 22:37
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.“
Allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us completely as we do our daily jobs- wether that is full time house wife, teacher, father, doctor, nurse, musician, pastor, engineer, ..-full of Him is apart of how we can give our first fruit! When we are so full of the Holy Spirit by surrendering our thoughts, fears and concerns, we can hear Him clearly! We come to a place of perfect love that casts out ALL fear and we allow our minds to rest, which then allows our body to rest.
1 John 4:18
“18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.“
We choose through the Holy Spirit to believe God’s word! He is GOOD ALWAYS! So paying our rent, giving our best in a job is apart of giving your first fruit because the requirement now because of Jesus is to GIVE ALL, our whole lives.
Romans 12:1 King James Version (KJV)
“12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
When I pay my rent with a heart of worship I am saying to God this money belongs to you GOD! I am giving from a place in my heart that is completely surrendered to HIM. Complete surrender of My LIFE- my whole heart to Him- is ALL that He requires. It is no longer a legslistic law that brings only death to my flesh, but LIFE! JESUS is LIFE!
John 14:6
“6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.“
His sacrifice, allows us now through the Holy Spirit to choose in everything to worship and give thanks!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 New International Version (NIV)
“18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
This verse is ALL that God is really requiring from us. To just give thanks to Him! When we follow His WILL for our lives which is simply summed up by giving thanks to HIM, this welcomes Holy Spirit to lead in our lives and walk out the beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12!
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you,persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
When Holy Spirit is leading in our lives we then our free to give our WHOLE lives- first fruits- tithe- to Him as an act of surrender worship!
God will provide EVERYTHING we have need of because that is what his word says.
Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
We must obey the leading of the Holy Spirit with peace! He always leads with peace. The tithe, first fruit, this is not a do or die law anymore. This law has been fullfilled in Jesus and is now LIFE. These are prophetic acts, reminding us of God’s heart for giving and when followed, His principle of blessing still applies! But it is not suppose to be a heavy burden or bondage because of Jesus. You are free to give or not to give. When we give, tithe, offer first fruits it is with the revelation and heart that we want God to have EVERY part of our lives. Christ already GAVE his son and paid the price and set us free from the legalistic requirement and there is no pressure because of Christ! However as an act of WORSHIP the only giving requirement that God is really asking for is giving ourselves as a living sacrifice. So we completly give our WHOLE self out of a heart of worship which is Thankful! This is our reasonable sacrifice! So it is still important to give as a believer, but now we give with revelation that Christ has paid the price for eternal life!
When we give our tithe/first fruit with this revelation it is out of a heart of pure worship to represent that Daddy God has our WHOLE life including our money!
Matthew 5:17-20
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.“
How hungry are you for God? He is the bread of Life and wants to meet every need we have!