I remember the times growing up with 5 brothers and one sister, when it came to splitting stuff up stuff, especially when it came to food; everyone was so concerned they got equal portions. I remember the many silly arguments we would get into when we poured Kool-Aid (remember that) into glasses. Before anyone could take a drink, each one would carefully examine all the glasses, to make sure no one got more than they were supposed to get. Just even talking about this sounds so very childish right now, right

In Genesis 4 we read where Abel and Cain brought offerings to the Lord. Genesis 4:3-5 “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering, He did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast” Cain’s offering was of the fruit of the ground, stuff he had no need for himself, or what was not marketable. On the other hand, Abel’s fat offering didn’t come from the lame, the lean or the worthless, but from the best he had; the firstborn of his flock. The Father gave His one and only Son, His very best, to die on the cross for our sins and yet I am constantly amazed at how much Christians struggle with giving back to the Lord; in their tithes and in their time to serve Him and the local church; His body

I remember back to the times when my wife and I were newly married and because I always took care of the bills, I struggled with giving the Lord His tithe. Everyone once in while, I would get generous and give a few dollars in the offering; of course after I took care of our bills and my needs. I always thought I was doing such a great thing whenever I did that, yet as the Lord says in Malachi 3, I was actually robbing the Lord of what was rightfully His. Then one day in a Sunday service, the Holy Spirit was speaking so powerfully to my heart and I leaned over to my wife and told her to write a full tithe check so we could place it in the offering. My wife gave me that I just witnessed a huge miracle look, and immediately wrote the check before I had a chance to change my mind

After I told my wife to do that, a spiritual battle immeadiately began to take place in my heart; what in the world did I just do. The voice of the enemy began to say “Man you just really blew it. How in the world do you think you are going to make it. You barely make it now buddy and you just lost the chance to buy that new shirt you want so badly. Man what a huge mistake you just made’ You see, I knew what our finances were and what ‘I’ wanted to do with our money. Writing that check that Sunday caused me to take a huge step of faith that I have never regretted doing ever since

The Lord goes on to say in Malachi 3:10-12 “Bring the ‘whole tithe’ into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields in your fields will not cast their fruit, says the Lord Almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for your will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty”

Just like my brothers and I were so concerned we wouldn’t get our fair share of Kool-Aid and someone might get more than we did, as Christians, we sadly began to think and act the same way; especially when it comes to the giving of our money to the Lord; so we get stingy with the Lord. The Bible says the Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills so He really doesn’t need our money because He already owns our money. What the Lord desires is a cheerful giver; one who trusts the Lord for everything in their life and who is so grateful for what He has done for them, that they can’t give Him enough

Would people say you are, a giving type of person or would they say that your are stingy? More importantly, would the Lord say you are a cheerful giver or that you are stingy? Are you a Cain or are you an Abel? There is an old saying that goes like this: A stingy man is always poor. My friend, give the Lord what is rightfully His, the floodgates of heaven are about to open!!!