We are currently back in our hometown (Rantoul, IL) for Thanksgiving break. We carpooled home with two friends we met at the International House of Prayer, KC. They are from Leroy, IL just 30 minutes or so from Rantoul.
This morning's church sermon was about giving - this was not a coincidence . The Lord has been highlighting this topic for the past month or so in our lives. We are so thankful for the ways the Lord speaks to us and teaches us.
The sermon highlighted these scriptures about giving & receiving: Malachi 3:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 , Luke 21:1-4. The past three weeks at our church in Kansas City (Forerunner Christian Fellowship) the sermons have also been about tithing, giving & receiving, testing the Lord in the only area He says you can test Him (giving), and testimonies of receiving. One testimony is that IHOP was given, free of charge, 125 acres of land. They have begun planning for a new 5,000 seat prayer room and a new campus for the Forerunner School of Ministry.
In addition to these great sermons and testimonies one of our good friends woke up in the middle of the night and saw an angel standing in the doorway of her bedroom. The angel only said one thing: "Those who freely give will freely receive." Then, the angel left.
Also, a sermon I heard while we were living in Kentucky enabled me to do a 180 degree turn around in my view of tithing. The main thing I got from it was: the Lord is not dependent on whether or not we give - this took the pressure off of me to give. His plans will go forth no matter if we give or not. However, the opportunity for us is to JOIN in what the Lord is already doing. Therefore, it is not so much about us but about the Lord. We are given the opportunity to be a part of what He is doing in this very tangible way - giving.
The Lord has really been teaching us to trust Him with our finances as we trust Him with our giving. "Those who freely give will freely receive" Glory to God.
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